In-depth analysis: Why is it highly likely that Djokovic will retire after this year's US Open?

It has been almost two years since we last saw Djokovic lift a Grand Slam trophy. The 38-year-old player has been tirelessly pursuing his 25th Grand Slam title, but everything seems to be more challenging in the "Sinner era." In the last three Grand Slam events, he has failed to reach the finals, stopping at the semifinals, and time seems to be catching up with him. After losing to Sinner in the Wimbledon semifinals, he remarked, "Playing a best-of-five match, especially this year, has been a real physical challenge for me. The longer the match goes, the worse my physical condition becomes."

At the 2025 Indian Wells Masters, Djokovic also acknowledged that there have indeed been some changes for him over the past few years, stating that he has been striving to maintain his ideal competitive level. After his exit from the French Open, retirement rumors intensified, as he expressed uncertainty about whether his loss to Sinner would be his last appearance at a clay Grand Slam.

Regardless of the event, people always question his every exit: "How much longer can he play?" After missing out on the championship opportunities in the first three Grand Slams of the season, Djokovic is now focusing on the upcoming fifth US Open title. However, last year, he unexpectedly lost to Australian player Poprin in the third round of the US Open. What would happen if history repeated itself this year?

When discussing Djokovic's retirement considerations, veteran tennis commentator Steve Flink stated in a conversation with Gil Gross, "I think if he comes to New York and exits in the Round of 16 with an unexpected loss, he might seriously think, 'What's the point? Will next year be better? I'm going to be 39; why would my body respond better?'" Flink also pointed out that Djokovic has set high standards for himself and demonstrates incredible effort and desire to maintain his condition.

Therefore, if he cannot meet these standards or achieve his expected goals, it might genuinely lead him to consider retirement. Recently, Kyrgios also shared his thoughts on when Djokovic might retire. Reflecting on his conversation with Djokovic at the 2025 Indian Wells tournament, the Australian player suggested that he believes Djokovic "will retire soon," even claiming he doesn't think Djokovic can play for more than another year.

However, amidst all these discussions, Djokovic faces a new challenge before the start of the US Open.

In the quarterfinals against Kovalik at Wimbledon, Djokovic slipped while trying to secure match points and fell hard. Although he didn't reveal much about his injury details at Wimbledon, his movement during the match against Sinner seemed less agile. Later, he issued a statement to reassure fans, expressing confidence that this injury would not keep him out for long and firmly believing he could compete at his best in the US Open, delivering top performance in New York.

However, his recent announcement to withdraw from the Canadian Masters has raised concerns once again. The last time Djokovic participated in this event was in 2018, so his Canadian fans will once again miss the chance to see him compete this year.

Considering his recent comments and the struggles he has shown in key Grand Slam matches, tennis legend Chanda Rubin pointed out that Djokovic indeed has some "serious questions" to answer before the US Open. But can he still win his 25th Grand Slam title? His former coach Becker stated in a podcast that while he was pleased to see Djokovic reach the semifinals again, he believes that Sinner and Alcaraz are stronger than Djokovic even on his good days. Becker added that he is not sure Djokovic can truly break the record set by Kott, "because time is running out."

Do you think Djokovic still has a chance to win the US Open title this year?(Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)