Novak Djokovic has emotionally admitted that he finds ageing and injuries that come with it hard to accept following his crushing defeat to Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon on Friday.
The Serb had entered their mouthwatering clash hoping to continue his pursuit of a record-equalling eighth title at the All England Club.
However, Djokovic struggled during the match on Centre Court - with Sinner setting up a final showdown with Carlos Alcaraz with a dominant 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 win.
Djokovic struggled with injuries at Wimbledon this term, having chosen to skip a practice session the day before the loss.
Novak Djokovic has emotionally admitted that he finds ageing and injuries that come with it hard to accept following his crushing defeat to Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon on Friday
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Now, speaking after his hopes of Wimbledon glory were ended, the world No 6 has admitted that he finds ageing and injuries 'hard to accept' after so many years of unparalleled consistency.
“I don’t think it’s bad fortune. It’s just age, the wear and tear of the body," he said.
"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.
“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.
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“But yeah, I guess playing best-of-five, particularly this year, has been a real struggle for me physically.
"The longer the tournament goes, yeah, 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 [Carlos] 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.
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Novak Djokovic was no match for Jannik Sinner during Friday's Wimbledon semi-final clash
PA“It is what it is, you know? It’s one of these things I accept and embrace in some way, deal with the reality the way it is, and try to make the most out of it, I guess.”
Djokovic revealed that he never considered withdrawing from his clash with Sinner.
And he's also hopeful he'll be able to return to action, soon, once his body has recovered.
“I never really thought about not stepping onto the court at all. I didn’t have that bad of a feeling, in the sense that I couldn’t stand on my leg," continued the tennis legend.
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“I couldn’t practise yesterday, but during warm-up it felt pretty good, all things considered.
"There was uncertainty about how my leg would respond. I played more from a static position, didn’t move around too much in the warm-up.
“But already by the middle of the first set, there were a few more aggressive movements — especially toward my forehand side — where I had to push off.
"That’s when I felt a worsening of the condition. Actually, the first six or seven games were okay, but after that, it wasn’t.
Novak Djokovic is hopeful over a swift return to tennis action following his elimination from Wimbledon
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“I don’t believe this will keep me off the court for too long.
“Unfortunately, I’ve had similar injuries recently and I managed to come back relatively quickly.
“I think I can get myself to an optimal level for the US Open, to be able to play at the highest level.”