Novak Djokovic could not add to his long list of titles in China, losing in straight sets to world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the Shanghai Masters final. But the Serbian great insisted he has more to give after a difficult year by his remarkably high standards. Djokovic’s only notable success in 2024 has been an Olympic gold medal, and he failed to win a Grand Slam for the first time since 2017.
Novak Djokovic cut a relaxed figure after losing to Jannik Sinner in the Shanghai Masters final, claiming he had already “achieved all the biggest goals”.
The Serbian was denied a 100th career title by world No. 1 Sinner, who underlined his status as one of the best of a new generation with a 7-6 6-3 win in China.
Djokovic, now 37, has failed to land a single Grand Slam in a year for the first time since 2017, though he did win Olympic gold in Paris with victory over Carlos Alcaraz.
After Rafael Nadal announced his retirement, there has been a suggestion that the old guard – including Djokovic – are set to make way for the new generation of world-class talents: Sinner, Alcaraz and co.
But Djokovic does not appear to be done at the top level yet.
“Comparing to most of my seasons throughout my career this has been one of my worst in terms of results,” he said in his press conference after the Shanghai Masters final. “But it was going to come at some point where I wouldn’t win slams and maintain that highest level for so many years in a row.
“And that’s okay, I’m happy with my gold medal from the Olympics. That was the main goal for this year.
“Of course, I wish I’d got a Grand Slam title but it is what it is. It’s the kind of season you just have to embrace, and I’m more than happy with what I’ve achieved throughout my career.”
Still a fierce competitor, there was a familiar look of frustration on Djokovic’s face as he lost to Sinner. But this was not a disastrous defeat.
“I think I’ve achieved all the biggest goals in my career,” he said. “Right now it’s about slams and seeing how far I can push the bar for myself.
“As long as I perform the way I performed this week, I can go toe-to-toe with the big guys. As long as that’s the case I’ll still feel the need to keep competing. Let’s see how long that’s going to last for.
“Big credit to Jannik for playing the bigger points better than me. He deserved to win, he was just too strong in important moments.
“Nevertheless, I still played pretty good, which gives me reason to believe that I can still play with these guys who are the best in the world. Hopefully I can maintain that level for the upcoming months.”
