 "Novak Djokovic appeared a pale shadow of his former self during his Shanghai Masters semi-final showdown against qualifier Valentin Vacherot, which he ended up losing in straight sets. AP")
The conversation around Novak Djokovic has been gradually shifting from his record 25th Grand Slam triumph to his impending retirement, with the 38-year-old finding it increasingly difficult to catch up with current stars Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in five-set tennis.
On Saturday, rumours of the Serbian tennis legend hanging up his racquet sooner rather than later gathered steam after Djokovic’s exit from the Shanghai Masters with a defeat in the semi-finals. What made the loss even worse was that it did wasn’t against someone from the ATP top-10, which has largely been the case in Grand Slams over the last two years, but a qualifier by the name Valentin Vacherot who is ranked 204th in the world.
Vacherot continues fairytale run, pulls off biggest win of his career
Vacherot had beaten Indian-American player Nishesh Basavareddy in the qualifiers to earn a place in the main draw, and would go on to defeat the likes of Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik and Denmark’s Holger Run, ranked 17th and 11th respectively, en route to setting up a semi-final meeting with Djokovic.
Few, however, would have expected the relatively-unknown Vacherot to swat aside the 24-time Grand Slam champion – who remains in the top-five and continues to go deep in Majors at the age of 38 – with ease. The Monegasque player pulled off the biggest victory of his career so far with a 6-3 6-4 defeat of Djokovic to setup a date with France’s Arthur Rinderknech, who also happens to be his cousin, in the final.
For Vacherot, who is set to climb 150 places on the ATP rankings, his fairytale run in Shanghai might just be the beginning of something special, a turning point in his career that the 26-year-old will be hoping leads to a place among the top-10 and possibly Grand Slam glory down the road.
Decision time for Djokovic
Djokovic, meanwhile, was served yet another reality check. The veteran star had previously stated that he would no longer be able to compete in five-set tennis against the likes of Sinner and Alcaraz, who appear to be playing on a different level at the moment.
Also Read | Novak Djokovic’s struggles at Shanghai Masters force ATP to consider rule change
Djokovic, however, had insisted that he could maintain his intensity over three sets outside Grand Slams, which is why the Shanghai Masters was a litmus test of his ability to challenge younger stars in his late 30s.
And with Alcaraz withdrawing from the tournament and Sinner retiring from the third round due to severe cramp, the path appeared clear for Djokovic to collect his 101st ATP title. Djokovic, however, could hardly keep up with his opponent who’s over a decade younger across the three sets, which will certainly play on his mind as he sits down and ponders over his future in professional tennis.
Also Read | With 25th Grand Slam looking increasingly uncertain, Djokovic could fulfill another dream next year
Djokovic will be heading to Saudi Arabia next, where he will be competing in the Six Kings Slam and is set to earn $1.5 million regardless of his performance on the court. But he will certainly have to think hard over his participation in the Australian Open, his pet Grand Slam that he has won 10 times.
Either way, it’s highly unlikely Djokovic will be competing in all four Grand Slams next year . And given how his body is holding up at the moment, a retirement announcement appears highly likely this winter than beyond.