Djokovic suffers another tough loss to Sinner: I wish I could swap for a younger body to win once more

Once dominating the scene, Djokovic’s reign seems to be fading as he has now lost consecutively to Sinner and Alcaraz. He admitted, “My body isn’t strong enough anymore to compete against these two in five-set Grand Slams.” This season, he has failed to pass the semifinal stage in three Grand Slams, confirming this reality.

However, at 38 years old, Djokovic still firmly believes that as long as he remains on the court, he has a chance.

This week’s Saudi King’s Cup once again highlighted Djokovic’s struggle against Sinner — marking his third loss to the Italian this season. On Thursday, Sinner defeated the Serbian in a brutal 6-4, 6-2 match lasting only 62 minutes. After the match, Djokovic openly expressed his feelings: “I really wish someone could trade me a younger body, even for just one year, so I could try to beat them again. Forgive my language, but being ‘kicked around’ like that on court really hurts.”

Still, he has no plans to give up. “I’m still motivated,” he admitted. “It’s getting harder to beat Yannick and Carlos, but I will keep challenging them until I succeed.” To those who think he will concede, he made it clear at the Riyadh press conference: “That won’t happen, sorry.”

Djokovic is not stepping away. He will continue fighting for his 25th Grand Slam title until he can overcome these two young rivals. So far in 2025, he has lost all three encounters against Sinner — in Paris, at Wimbledon semifinals, and now in Riyadh.

In January, Djokovic defeated Alcaraz in the Australian Open quarterfinals. However, last month at the US Open, the six-time Grand Slam champion was defeated in straight sets by Alcaraz in the semifinals, who avenged his earlier loss decisively. Despite these setbacks against younger opponents, Djokovic has no thoughts of retirement and remains determined to push forward.

Yes, he is already 38 and approaching 40, but Djokovic firmly believes that “age is just a number.” At the Riyadh press conference, he clearly stated his future plans — retirement is not on his agenda, and “longevity is one of my biggest motivations.”

He also cited other sports legends as examples: “I really want to see how far I can go. Look at those global stars — LeBron James is still strong at 40; Cristiano Ronaldo and Tom Brady have played into their 40s, which is incredible. They inspire me.”

Throughout his career, Djokovic has won almost everything — 100 ATP titles, long periods as world No.1, and 24 Grand Slam trophies. Yet he still craves one more victory — which would make him the first player in history, male or female, to win 25 Grand Slam titles. So far, he hasn’t achieved this, but he is eager to keep trying.

“In the coming years, tennis may undergo huge changes, and I want to be part of that transformation.” For him, the goal is clear: “I want to be on the court, witnessing tennis’s renewal firsthand, laying the foundation for the sport’s development for decades to come.”(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Spark)