It was a first for Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open on Sunday.
Never before had Djokovic lost in a final at Melbourne Park. He had been an unbelievable 10-0 lifetime in Aussie Open title matches heading into Sunday’s showdown against Carlos Alcaraz. The Serb showed early signs of making it 11 triumphs Down Under and 25 slams overall, but Alcaraz eventually prevailed 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5.
Now the question if it was also a “last.” Djokovic’s last Australian Open match, that is.
“It has been a great ride,” the 38-year-old told the crowd during the trophy ceremony. “I love you guys.”
The statement cast doubt on Djokovic’s future at his Melbourne stomping grounds. After all, there was “see you next year.” But there also wasn’t a goodbye. It really wasn’t anything out of the ordinary for Djokovic, who has rarely made any guarantees about short-term or long-term plans.
“God knows what happens tomorrow,” he added in his speech, “let alone in six months or 12 months.”
The current world No. 3 was not pressed on the issue by English writers at his post-match media session, but Serbian journalists certainly made sure to broach the subject. He was asked to clarify his “it has been a great ride” remark.
“I don’t know; I don’t know whether I will see them again or not,” Djokovic admitted. “So I left it open. Truly, I don’t know. You have followed me for a long time; I am not pretending; I am not putting on an act; I am not twisting things; I am telling you exactly how it is. I’ve said over the last year or year and a half that I’m really not sure about how much longer I’ll play or in what way. I’ve said that I’d like to play until the 2028 Olympics. But that could mean maybe one tournament a year; maybe 10; maybe 15; maybe two; maybe seven. I don’t know, honestly.
“I really meant what I said on court. The crowd gave me truly unforgettable emotions over the last two matches — emotions that I’ve never experienced here in this way before. And I’m extremely grateful for that. I think I deserved that, and I thank them sincerely from the heart.
“I think I’ll come back. But whether you’ll see me here as an active player, we’ll see.”