Novak Djokovic was ominous about his future after suffering a straight-set defeat in the Shanghai Masters final.
It was only his third appearance in a championship match this season. But the 37-year-old was no match for world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who won 7-6(4) 6-3.
It’s been an unusual season for the 24-time Grand Slam champion. Djokovic has suffered some uncharacteristic early exits to significantly lower-ranked players at the biggest tournaments. But he also won the one thing that always evaded him – an Olympic gold medal.
The world No. 4 looked good in Shanghai, playing arguably some of his best tennis of 2024. However, Sinner overpowered him on Sunday, doing to Djokovic what Djokovic has been doing to the rest of the tour for years.
The future is now uncertain for the 37-year-old as the gap between him and the top young players starts to widen. He has entered the Paris Masters and could qualify for the ATP Finals but has not committed to either tournament.
Addressing his upcoming plans, Djokovic was also vague about how long he’d keep competing altogether. The world No. 4 was encouraged by his ability to play alongside the top guys, though he questioned how long it would last.
“He deserved to win, he was just too strong in important moments,” Djokovic said of his opponent. “But, nevertheless, I still think that even in the finals today I played pretty good, so, which, you know, gives me, I guess, reason to believe that I can still play with these guys that are best in the world at this level. Hopefully I can maintain that level in the upcoming months, and also for the future.”
The 37-year-old also confirmed his intentions to keep competing into 2025, explaining what kept him going. He continued: “My main motivation comes from love and passion for the sport, and also the desire to keep competing.
“These are kind of the matches and challenges that I still strive for, to be in a position to play against the best players in the world, on the biggest stage, in the finals of some of the biggest tournaments in the world.
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