Returning to the Mutua Madrid Open, a tournament where he’s lifted the trophy three times, Novak Djokovic had his eyes set on a milestone—the elusive 100th career title. That quest has been hanging in the air since his golden moment at the Paris Olympics in 2024. Despite reaching four finals since then, the silverware has continued to evade him. Even longer has been the drought for an ATP title, dating back to his 24th Grand Slam win at the US Open in 2023. But if fans were hoping Madrid would be where the story flips, Saturday’s events made it clear: the wait goes on. The inevitability of sport has caught up with Djokovic as he hints at being ready to turn the page.

Matteo Arnaldi played the role of spoiler with absolute conviction. Facing his childhood idol, the Italian produced a fearless and inspired performance to oust Djokovic 6-3, 6-4 in the second round. Djokovic, not at his best, tallied 32 unforced errors, and with that, his campaign in the Spanish capital ended with a modest 12-7 season record. It’s yet another dent for the Serb maestro, who had already lost the Miami final to Jakub Mensik and suffered a “horrible” Monte Carlo exit against Alejandro Tabilo.

In his post-match presser, he said, “I didn’t have high expectations here. I just hoped to play one more match than in Monte Carlo.” The brutal honesty continued as he admitted, “It’s weird, I wasn’t used to approaching these tournaments like this over the last 20 years. It’s the cycle of life.” 

Djokovic later shockingly hinted that this might have been his final appearance at the Madrid Open. The 24-time Grand Slam champion said, “It could be. I’m not sure if I will come back. So I don’t know what to say. I mean, I’ll come back, maybe not as a player, of course. I hope it’s not, but it could be.”

Even as he turns toward Roland Garros, Djokovic knows the odds are different this time. “I won’t be one of the main favorites at Roland Garros. Maybe that will help me, I don’t know,” he said, highlighting the reality check he’s currently facing with both his form and fitness being less than ideal. It’s unfamiliar ground for a man who’s made a career out of dominating the sport’s biggest stages.

Novak Djokovic’s struggles come against the backdrop of a broader “shift” in the sport itself.

Novak Djokovic navigates a new era in tennis

As tennis moves into a future filled with new stars and fresh rivalries, the former World No. 1 is left wondering if the landscape has changed. “You can feel there’s a shift,” he noted. “Not only in terms of the generations of players [who now have] the main focus and attention, but I guess it takes a little bit of time for people to accept the fact that Roger and Rafa are not playing, and Murray, and I guess one day myself, but I’m still trying to stay there and represent the older guys, the older generation.” For a player who has spent so long at the center of the tennis world, the changing landscape is impossible to ignore.

Still, Djokovic has always embraced the bigger picture. “The sport should outlive everyone, the sport will outlive everyone, and the sport is more important than anybody individually,” he added.

For now, Djokovic still stands on the verge of joining Jimmy Connors (109 titles) and Roger Federer (103) in the exclusive club of players with 100-plus career titles. But in Madrid, it was clear that numbers alone wouldn’t define the next steps. With emotion creeping into his words, Djokovic acknowledged that the battle ahead would be as much against time as it would against opponents across the net. Will the Serb find one more surge of magic at Roland Garros to create history? Share your thoughts in the comments below.