Novak Djokovic’s run for a historic 25th Grand Slam ended in the Wimbledon semifinals with a straight-sets defeat to Jannik Sinner. The seven-time Centre Court champion fought through pain from a “nasty fall” in his quarterfinal against Flavio Cobolli, but the injury clearly lingered—he was seen limping after the first set. ATP legend John McEnroe voiced concern from the commentary box as Djokovic, 38, struggled to find his rhythm. This loss sparked one big question: could this really be Nole’s last shot at Wimbledon glory?
The match was a tough one for Djokovic. He managed to win 10 games but couldn’t break Sinner’s momentum. The Italian took the match in straight sets (6-3, 6-3, 6-4), ending Djokovic’s 2025 Wimbledon campaign. When asked if this could be his last Wimbledon match, Novak was honest. “I would be sad, but hopefully it’s not my last match on Centre Court. I’m not planning to finish my Wimbledon career today. I’m planning to come back definitely at least one more time,” he told the press after.
McEnroe didn’t hold back as he watched Djokovic try to keep up with Sinner’s relentless play. On BBC, McEnroe said, “We’re going to pay our respects obviously for the great Novak Djokovic, who battled despite being somewhat limited. He’s going to have a lot of thinking to do over the course of the next month or so.”
As the Centre Court crowd roared, McEnroe paused, then dropped a bombshell: “It’s the first time ever I’ve looked at him and thought ‘I’m not sure if he’s going to come back’. That’s obviously a decision that’s up to him and he can play for as long as he wants. I don’t know if he can accept being a notch or two below these guys.” Pointing to Carlos Alcaraz, who beat Novak Djokovic in the last two Wimbledon finals, and Sinner, who now leads their head-to-head 6-4.
Djokovic says he’s planning to play Wimbledon at least one more time
“Would you be sad if that was your last match on Centre Court, to go off like that?”
Novak: “I would be sad, but hopefully it’s not my last match on Centre Court. I’m not planning to finish my Wimbledon career… pic.twitter.com/v6lyd4M0G2
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 11, 2025
Not to mention, Djokovic’s injury worries started even before the match. He canceled his scheduled practice at Aorangi Park, raising questions about his fitness. By early evening, he hadn’t rescheduled, fueling speculation about whether he was ready for the semifinal test. Maybe he just needed more time to get back on his feet.
Still, now that the Serb reassured that this isn’t his final act at SW19, the rumors can take a backseat. He promised to return—and maybe, just maybe, he’ll chase that elusive eighth title and meet Roger Federer with an eighth title here? Until then, we can hope he comes back stronger for the hard-court season!
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