End of an era? Djokovic hints at Madrid farewell after defeat

MADRID: Novak Djokovic has suggested that he may have played at the Madrid Open for the final time. 

The three-time champion crashed out in the second round on Saturday, losing to Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi. After the defeat, the Serbian star admitted he was not sure if he would return to the tournament.

Arnaldi beat fourth seed Djokovic 6-3 6-4 to reach the third round. The result condemned the 37-year-old, who received a bye in the opening round, to his third consecutive defeat.

Djokovic, who has been chasing a 100th tour-level title, was handed a shock defeat in the Miami Open final in late March before his second-round Monte Carlo exit earlier this month.

All three defeats came in straight sets.

"Obviously after you lose a match you don't feel good, but I've had a few of these this year where I lose in the first round, unfortunately," Djokovic told a press conference.

"I think the positive thing is that I really enjoyed myself more than I have in Monte-Carlo or some other tournament, so that's a good thing.

"But obviously still level of tennis is not where I would like it to be. But it is what it is. I lost to a better player."

Djokovic, who made his Madrid debut in 2006 and won the tournament in 2011, 2016 and 2019, was looking for his first win on clay since defeating Carlos Alcaraz to win gold at the Paris Olympics.

Asked whether he just played his last match in Madrid, Djokovic said: "It could be. It could be. I'm not sure if I will come back. So, I don't know, I don't know what to say.

"I mean, I'll come back, maybe not as a player. I hope it's not, but it could be."

Djokovic won three out of the four major titles in 2023 but has not been able to reproduce that kind of form since, being shut out of the game's biggest tournaments last year as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz claimed majors apiece.

"(It's) kind of new reality for me, I have to say. You know, trying to win a match or two, not really thinking about getting far in the tournament," Djokovic added.

"It's a completely different feeling from what I had in 20-plus years of professional tennis, so it's kind of a challenge for me mentally to really face these kind of sensations on the court, going out early now regularly in the tournaments.

"But that's, I guess, the circle of life and the career, eventually it was going to happen."

The former world number one owns ATP Masters 1000 records for most wins (414), semi-finals (79), finals (60) and titles (40).