Novak Djokovic abruptly retired from his Six Kings Slam third-place playoff match in opposition to Taylor Fritz on Saturday.
The Serb bowed out early within the second set after shedding a bodily first set in a 7-4 tiebreaker. In response to The Independent, Djokovic was hobbled on the finish of the primary set after he pulled a muscle in his left leg, and struggled to deal with the gradual floor on the ANB Area in Riyadh.
Novak Djokovic apologizes for retirement
The 24-time main winner issued an apology to the Saudi Arabian spectators for not giving them a correct end.
“Not nice, I need to apologize to everyone,” Djokovic stated, through The Unbiased. “Sorry guys. Sorry you could not see the second set. It was one of many longest units I’ve performed. It was an incredible go to to Riyadh for me as soon as once more. I need to thank everyone for actually welcoming me. Hopefully if I carry on going subsequent yr, I will be again for those who guys need me right here.”
He equally apologized after being bulldozed in straight units by Jannik Sinner within the semifinal of the profitable exhibition event. Sinner would go on to defeat World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in a hard-fought match to win the Six Kings Slam on Saturday, incomes himself a paycheck of $6M for profitable simply three matches — in opposition to Stefanos Tsitsipas, Djokovic and Alcaraz — over the interval of 4 days.
Finish of season for Novak Djokovic?
Except Djokovic has a last-minute change of coronary heart, he’ll in all probability skip the year-end ATP Finals in Turin, identical to he did final yr. As of this writing, solely Sinner, Alcaraz and Djokovic have qualified for the ATP Finals, with Taylor Fritz, Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton on the verge of doing the identical.
If Djokovic have been to withdraw, his spot might be taken by Lorenzo Musetti, Alex de Minaur or Holger Rune, relying on the outcomes of the ATP 500 occasion in Basel, the ATP 1000 Masters in Paris and the ATP 250 occasion in Athens. Djokovic had earlier agreed to play in Athens, however his newest leg harm might alter these plans.
“Now it is relaxation and actually addressing among the points I’ve with my physique,” Djokovic stated on Saturday. “Then hopefully enjoying the final couple of tournaments of the season, let’s examine.”
Djokovic’s 2025 season could be over with solely the one title he gained in Geneva in Might. He equally gained just one title in 2024, capturing the gold medal on the Paris Olympics.
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