Novak Djokovic’s shock retirement admission after suffering third straight defeat

Tennis legend Novak Djokovic made the shocking admission after being bundled out in the first round of back-to-back tournaments.

Novak Djokovic has hinted that this may be his last year on the professional tour after losing a second-straight opening match and three in a row overall.

The Serbian fell in straight sets to Italian Matteo Arnaldi in his first match of the Madrid Open on Saturday, looking completely out of sorts.

Arnaldi won 6-3 6-4, with the Serb committing a whopping 32 unforced errors to his opponent’s 18, as his serve was broken three times.

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The struggles have seen the 24-time grand slam champion admit that he has to accept a “new reality” and hinted a retirement may be coming in the near future.

“It’s a completely different feeling from what I had in 20-plus years of professional tennis. It’s a challenge for me mentally to really face these kinds of sensations on the court, going out early now, regularly, in tournaments,” Djokovic said after the match.

And when asked if he had just played his last match in Madrid, he said: “It could be, it could be. I’m not sure if I will come back. So, I don’t know, I don’t know what to say.”

Novak Djokovic has hinted that retirement could be around the corner. Image: Getty

“I mean, I’ll come back, maybe not as a player. I hope it’s not, but it could be.”

Djokovic is still seeking his first title of the season after winning his 99th title last August at the Paris Olympics and since then has lost four finals and been bundled out of several tournaments in the very first round.

The only two players to reach the 100-title milestone are Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103) and even the most loyal Djokovic fans are starting to believe he will never reach that mark.

“Is anyone else worried about Novak Djokovic? His third loss in a row and no signs of improvement. This is hard to watch,” one Djokovic fan tweeted after the latest defeat.

“If Novak Djokovic doesn’t win another tennis match again, no matter. I hope he gets his groove back, but there is nothing on the line,” another said.

“As much I love even worship Djokovic, I think it’s better for him to retire now. I couldn’t bear to see him keep losing,” a third added.

Originally published as Novak Djokovic’s shock retirement admission after suffering third straight defeat