“Half-empty” Djoko” My body no longer listens to me

Novak Djokovic took a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 semi-final thumping from Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon on Friday, with the 38-year-old determined to extend his career for at least another year. 

“I would be sad, but hopefully it’s not my last match on the Centre Court,” the 24-time Grand Slam winner said.

“I’m not planning to finish my Wimbledon career today. I’m planning to come back definitely at least one more time, play on the Centre Court for sure.”

For perhaps the first time in public, the Serb put a label on the problems that have kept him from a top title since the US Open nearly two years ago.

“I do feel disappointed that I just wasn’t able to move as well as I thought or hoped that I would.

“I don’t think it’s bad fortune. It’s just age, the wear and tear of the body.

“As much as I’m taking care of it, the reality hits me right now, last year
and a half, like never before, to be honest.

Djokovic added: “It’s tough for me to accept that because I feel like when
I’m fresh, when I’m fit, I can still play really good tennis.

“I’ve proven that this year. But playing best-of-five, particularly this year, has been a real struggle for me physically.

“The longer the tournament goes, the worse the condition gets.

“I reach the final stages, I reach the semis of every slam this year, but I have to play Sinner or Alcaraz.

“These guys are fit, young, sharp. I feel like I’m going into the match with tank half empty.

“It’s just not possible to win a match like that.”

The longtime world No. 1 currently ranked sixth suggested that he is slowly running out of options as the last active player among the one-time Big 4 of Federer, Nadal, Andy Murray and himself.

” I don’t know what I can do differently, to be honest, because the amount of hours that I spend on a daily basis to take care of myself, I’d like to challenge everyone who is out there on the tour to see if anybody takes cares of themselves more than me. 

“I, unfortunately, don’t get rewarded for that right now, with injuries at the later stages of Slams. But I was rewarded for many, many years. 

“I might see it right now as a misfortune, but I have gotten so much from God and the life in my career that it would be a disservice really from me to God and to my body and to everything that I had in my career to start complaining about injuries because I’ve been fit for so long and had an incredible career.

“I’m just trying to make the maximum out of what I have left. It’s that physical aspect that is bothering me. You’re there. You want to play. You’re determined. 

“But then the body doesn’t want to listen. That’s it. That’s what you can say about it.”

Main photo:- The Championships Wimbledon Day 10 Novak Djokovic took a nasty tumble in the quarter final – Roger Parker ISF