“It stinks” – Martina Navratilova makes concerning assessment about Novak Djokovic’s future after Serb’s US Open exit

Martina Navratilova assessed Novak Djokovic’s future in tennis following the Serb’s straight-set loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the men’s singles semifinals at the 2025 US Open. The Serb did his best to keep pace with the electric Spaniard across the first two sets. However, things quickly went downhill for the former No. 1 and 24-time Major champion in the third and decisive set, as his movement was severely compromised.

Navratilova, a World No. 1 in both women’s singles and doubles tennis during her playing days, drew parallels between the 38-year-old Serb’s situation right now and the twilight years of her own illustrious career. The legendary Czech-American told Sky Sports:

“It stinks. I went through it. The effort is the same, you feel the same. I didn’t feel that much slower, but you play the right point and you miss it, when you could have made it with your eyes closed 10 years ago. It’s frustrating.”

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The 68-year-old also opined that as things stand, Novak Djokovic "needs help" to bridge the gap between his declining level and the respective levels of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, the two players who have shared the spoils at Majors since the start of 2024.

"He needs help from someone now to win because to beat Alcaraz and Sinner, that’s too much," Navratilova added.

Novak Djokovic acknowledged his present-day shortcomings against Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner following US Open SF loss

In the aftermath of his semifinal loss to Alcaraz at the 2025 US Open, Djokovic admitted that for him, coming out on top against the Spaniard and Sinner at Majors going forward will be "difficult". According to the Serb, he is more likely to beat them at the non-Slam events, where matches are played in the best-of-three-sets format.

"It will be very difficult for me in the future to overcome the hurdle of Sinner, Alcaraz, in the best-of-five on the Grand Slams. I think I have a better chance best of three, but best of five, it's tough," the former No. 1 said.

In recent years, the Serb has repeatedly voiced his desire to keep challenging for more Major titles. He has also skipped several non-Slam tournaments, including multiple Masters 1000s, to prepare almost exclusively for the Majors. However, considering his latest admission, it would be interesting to see if he opts to play more Masters 1000s, ATP 500s and 250 events in future.

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Sudipto Pati

Sudipto is a Tennis journalist at Sportskeeda holding a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. He has an experience of 3+ years across the market research, travel, health, lifestyle and sports sectors.

Sudipto has followed Tennis since the early 2000s and stays up-to-date with the sport by following both active and former Tennis players, and seasoned journalists. He also follows ATP and WTA updates, watches documentaries and interviews of professionals, and only reads esteemed publications. He sources all information for his articles only from credible publications stays away from unsubstantiated claims. In just a matter of 3 months, he has gained a readership of almost 2 million at Sportskeeda!

Sudipto admires Rafael Nadal for his fiercely competitive on-court nature and his ability to make memorable comebacks after injury layoffs. The Spaniard may be the GOAT for him, but he also respects the accomplishments of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

Beyond Tennis, Sudipto also has an interest in music, football, and video games alongside cooking and traveling.

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