Sep 5, 2025; Flushing, NY, USA; Novak Djokovic of Serbia wave to the audience after his match against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in the semifinal of the mens singles at the US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images

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‘Very Difficult for Me’ – Novak Djokovic Clears the Air On 2026 Plans Amid Tough Losses Against Alcaraz and Sinner

Can Novak Djokovic Find a Way to Win His 25th Grand Slam?

There’s a popular saying in sports: Father Time is undefeated. No matter how dominant you are, no matter how physically impressive you are, age will catch up to you. It’s quite humbling, actually, and makes a sportsman’s prime all the more important. The Serbinator Novak Djokovic is inevitably experiencing the same situation. But in 2025, that struggle has become even more noticeable. Perhaps that’s why questions over his future have grown, and now Djokovic has answered them clearly.

After his loss to Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic says one of the reasons he keeps playing is because of the love he’s been receiving from fans around the world these last few years:

“I still enjoy the thrill of competition. Today I received amazing support from the crowd. Very… pic.twitter.com/GpVDB6lvrI
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 5, 2025

Novak Djokovic Opens Up On the Challenge Of Beating Alcaraz and Sinner

In three of the last four Grand Slams, Novak Djokovic has lost to Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner. After losing to Sinner at Wimbledon, Djokovic had accepted that his body prevented him from having long matches against the duo. That became visible again when Djokovic lost to Alcaraz in straight sets, and by the third set, his performance had a noticeable dip. Naturally, after the match, the 24-time Grand Slam champion made his feelings clear on this situation.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC.

We are not worthy. pic.twitter.com/1uOtHA3jqF
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 5, 2025

Talking about his future, Djokovic said, Quite a candid acceptance from the Djoker. Certainly beating them back-to-back is extremely difficult, especially at the level that those two are playing in right now. However, that doesn’t mean Novak Djokovic has let go of any hopes to win the Grand Slams. Far from that, the Serb believes he can play the entire cycle again.

“I still want to play full Grand Slam season next year,” declared Djokovic. However, once again, he hinted at his body’s present condition and whether it would allow him to embark on this mission. “Let’s see whether that’s gonna happen or not,” he said. So just what is it that’s pushing Djokovic to play more despite clearly falling behind the new big 2 of tennis? Simply put, it’s him making a gamble.

Sinner and Alcaraz cannot make it to every final or semi-final of every Grand Slam. Novak Djokovic is naturally hoping to be there when either of them stumbles. Beating two of them back-to-back is tough, but Djokovic has the capacity to beat one of them. Perhaps that’s all the Djoker needs. Certainly, at this stage of his career, that’s the kind of bet that Djokovic can make.

Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images

ATP

Carlos Alcaraz

Jannik Sinner

Novak Djokovic

Tennis

US Open

US Open 2025

Sanskar Dubey

A passionate sports fan since childhood, it was always my dream to cover the peak of human potential. Baseball, Tennis, and Football (or Soccer) have been closest to my heart. From Rafael Nadal’s never-say-die attitude to Roger Federer’s beautiful backhand, I’ve seen it all. Prior to the Playoffs, I’ve worked in EssentiallySports and Pro Football and Sports Network.