"I have never been so supported in this stadium during big matches," Djokovic reflects after his defeat in the Roland-Garros semifinals

Novak Djokovic will not compete in his eighth Roland-Garros final. The Serb, already a semifinalist at the Australian Open, reached the same stage of the competition on the Parisian clay but was halted by a stunning Jannik Sinner, who secured the victory in 3 hours and 16 minutes across three sets (6-4, 7-5, 7-6).

Djokovic had his chances in the match, earning two set points in the third set. Still chasing his 25th Grand Slam title since his triumph at the 2023 US Open, the former world No. 1 left Court Philippe-Chatrier to a standing ovation from the crowd.

After the match, the 38-year-old expressed in a press conference how deeply moved he was by the support, hinting that this might have been his final Roland-Garros appearance of his career.

"I wanted to show my gratitude to the crowd for the support I received tonight. I have never been so supported in my career in this stadium during big matches. I was truly honored. I was emotional because I may have played my last match here—I don’t know.

But if this was my farewell here, it was a wonderful match in terms of atmosphere and what I received from the crowd. Twelve months at this stage of my career is a long time. Do I want to keep playing longer? Yes. But will I be able to play here again in twelve months? I don’t know.

In terms of tennis level, it was very good, sometimes excellent. A set could have gone my way—I had opportunities—but he deserved the win. Sinner and Alcaraz put you under pressure, and when you get a chance, it’s very rare. That adds tension," he told Eurosport.