As Novak Djokovic turned to his team mid-way through his match against Argentina’s Thiago Agustin Tirante, it was clear to all that he had no answers to a challenge he has been dealing with for some time.
At the age of 39, Djokovic’s levels of excellence against rivals who are often close to half his age is a remarkable tribute to his fitness and his dedication to continue his career, with his results over the last couple of years justifying his decision to continue his tennis journey into his 40th year.
Yet it’s not just injuries that give you a clue that your time may be up, with the issues Djokovic has been failing to deal with when the temperatures and humidity are elevated leaving questions over whether he can still compete for the biggest titles.
Djokovic would have beaten Tirante with something to spare if he didn’t suffer a physical meltdown in the Cincinnati daytime heat, but that is all part of the challenge that needs to be overcome to compete for titles and it seems the Serbian is starting to doubt whether he can carry on for much longer.
“It was not an enjoyable match for me, for sure,” he said after his latest defeat. “The way I felt… Not the first and I guess not the last time, but it is what it is.”
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He then went on to hint he is suffering from a medical condition that cannot be cured as he added: “It’s just a condition that I have, health-wise, that has been bothering me for the past couple of years. A lot of issues, especially when it is humid and it is hot.
“I did anticipate it, but there are all these things, like nerves and everything involved that make it worse, and that’s what happened.”
Djokovic went on to suggest he was doubtful whether he would play at the Cincinnati Open again, in what was a candid insight into how he is thinking as he weighs up when to call time on his career.
The 24-time Grand Slam-winning great always suggests he is ‘looking forward to returning next year’ when he pulls out of a tournament, but this was the first time we have heard him suggest he will not be back 12 months from now.
That begs the question of whether Djokovic will still be playing professional tennis by then and if he does suffer an earlier-than-expected exit at the upcoming US Open, that decision may be crystallised in his mind.
The primary reason why Djokovic is continuing his career is to try and land the 25th Grand Slam title that would move him ahead of Margaret Court and into a league of his own for major title wins in tennis.
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Physical issues have halted that ambition time and again over the last couple of years, as well as the stunning form of world No 1 Jannik Sinner and No 2 Carlos Alcaraz.
Djokovic has now reached a point in his career where he needs some luck with the draw, the conditions of the court and the climate and maybe even defeats for Sinner and Alcaraz to have a chance to win another Grand Slam title.
That means he has a lot of pieces of the jigsaw to fall his way and he may soon conclude his last tennis dream is the one that will elude him.
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