Novak Djokovic made an emotional exit from Court Philippe-Chatrier following his semi-final defeat to Jannik Sinner at the French Open on Friday evening.
The 38-year-old Serbian paused midway through his departure, setting down his bags to acknowledge the crowd's appreciation.
The three-time Roland Garros champion turned to all four stands, appearing visibly moved as spectators showed their support.
His Italian opponent secured a commanding 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(3) victory in straight sets.
Novak Djokovic appeared to bid farewell to the crowd at the French Open
Reuters
The veteran player took his time leaving the court after losing the third-set tiebreak, with Sinner celebrating his emphatic win and progression to his first French Open final.
Djokovic later revealed the reason for his emotional reaction, admitting uncertainty about his future at the tournament.
"This could have been the last match ever I played here, so I don't know. That's why I was a bit more emotional even in the end," he said during his post-match press conference.
The 24-time major champion expressed his desire to continue playing whilst acknowledging the uncertainty ahead.
"Do I wish to play more? Yes, I do. But will I be able to play in 12 months' time here again? I don't know. That's all I can say for the moment."
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He added: "If this was the farewell match at Roland Garros for me in my career, it was a wonderful one in terms of the atmosphere and what I got from the crowd."
Despite the straight-sets scoreline, Djokovic expressed pride in his performance.
"It was a straight-set loss, but I feel like I did give him a run for his money, so to say," he said.
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Novak Djokovic was thrashed by Jannik Sinner as the Italian reached the French Open final
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"I tried to make him work till the last shot. I did what I could. This is sport. You have to just shake the hand of the better player and move on."
The Serbian praised his opponent's exceptional form. "Jannik is the kind of player who loves to play at a very fast pace the entire match. He's very physical. He's very fit, and he's striking the ball incredibly well," Djokovic said.
"He seems to always be on good timing. Rarely he's off-balance, and he's just playing the tennis of his life."
The defeat marked Sinner's fourth consecutive victory over Djokovic, with the 23-year-old Italian now leading their head-to-head series 5-4.
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Novak Djokovic admitted it could be his last match at Roland Garros
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The world number one will face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday's final.
Djokovic endorsed the budding rivalry between the two young stars. "I think their rivalry is something that our sport needs, no doubt," said the Serbian, currently ranked fifth in the world.
"The way they are playing and the way they are approaching tennis life, I think they are going to have very successful careers. I'm sure that we're going to see them lifting the big trophies quite often."
Sinner acknowledged Djokovic's achievements following their match, telling reporters: "These are rare and special moments. I'm very happy."
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