Djokovic congratulates Carlos Alcaraz after their 2025 US Open semifinal match at Flushing Meadows, New York, USA on 6/9/2025. Photo: *Reuters*

Djokovic addressed questions about his season, the dominance of younger players, and his future plans in a post-match press conference.

When asked about his satisfaction with his season given his four Grand Slam semifinal appearances, especially considering Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner's success, Djokovic responded, "I've lost three out of four semifinal matches against Alcaraz and Sinner. They are simply exceptional, playing at a very high level." He explained that he ran out of energy after the second set against Alcaraz, while his opponent maintained a consistent performance. "It's the same feeling I had when I faced Sinner this year. In a five-set format, it's really difficult to compete with them, especially in the latter stages of a Grand Slam."

Regarding his future, Djokovic expressed contentment with his skill level but acknowledged his physical limitations. "As I said after the quarterfinals, I tried to prepare myself physically as best as I could to keep up the pace for as long as possible. But it wasn't enough. It's unfortunate, but it's something I can't control at this stage of my career. I can't do anything more. It will be very difficult to overcome challenges like Sinner or Alcaraz in five-set matches at Grand Slams in the future. I think I have a better chance in the three-set format. However, I will not give up on Grand Slams. I will continue to fight, try to reach the finals, and compete for another title, even though I know it will be an extremely difficult task."

Djokovic also commented on Alcaraz and Sinner's improvement, stating it was natural for young players to progress. "These two are currently the best players in the world. If you don't improve, something is wrong, so you have to adapt and change. They have a very good team, training strategy, and the right approach. The results have proven that. There's no doubt that they play better each year, and that's to be expected at their age."

Comparing his loss to his Wimbledon defeat against Sinner, Djokovic said, "It's quite simple. I think I explained what happened today when I couldn't maintain my physical strength. I am disappointed that I couldn't maintain my fitness, but it's something I anticipated. Time and age are things you have to accept. I still love the feeling of competing." He expressed gratitude for the crowd's support and highlighted the exciting moments he experienced, particularly in the second set against Alcaraz. "That's one of the main reasons I'm still playing. In the past few years, the affection I've received from around the world has been truly wonderful. Alcaraz was simply better than me in decisive moments. Losing is never fun, but if I have to lose, I accept losing to Alcaraz and Sinner. I know they are playing better than me at the moment. I just have to acknowledge that and say, 'You guys did a great job'."

Djokovic attributed his physical limitations to accumulated issues over time. "In almost every match, there's another problem to deal with. In the end, my energy ran out. There were no injuries preventing me from playing today, nothing to complain about, it's just that my physical strength wasn't enough to compete with Carlos."

When asked about his plans leading up to the Australian Open, Djokovic admitted, "Oh, Australia is a long way off (laughs). At this stage of my career, honestly, I don't think that far ahead. I've planned to participate in the tournament in Athens (ATP 250 in early November), that's for sure, but other than that, everything is still a question mark."

Considering the challenges of five-set matches, Djokovic expressed the possibility of playing more three-set tournaments. "We'll see. I need to discuss it with my team, but it's a possibility after this Grand Slam season. I'm not saying I'll skip the Grand Slams; I still want to play in those next season. They are different tournaments, the pillars of this sport and the most important tournaments. But yes, I give myself more chances in three-set matches, in week-long tournaments or Masters 1000 tournaments with rest days between matches. That might be more advantageous for me when facing Alcaraz and Sinner."

Compiled by Hoang Thong