Tim Henman makes Novak Djokovic retirement prediction after Carlos Alcaraz defeat at US Open

Tim Henman believes Novak Djokovic will have one last crack at the Australian Open before potentially hanging up his racket after losing to Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open.

The 38-year-old was bidding to win a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title at the US Open but saw his quest ended by Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals.

Alcaraz controlled the opening set after an early break but the second went to a tie-break, Alcaraz crucially coming out on top to demoralise Djokovic.

A fading Djokovic was broken twice in the third set, with Alcaraz clinching a 6-4 7-6 6-2 victory to book his place in the US Open.

Alcaraz will face either defending champion and world number one Jannik Sinner or revitalised Canadian Felix Auger Aliassime in the final.

A record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title continues to evade Djokovic, who reached the semi-final of all four majors in 2025 but lost to either Sinner or Alcaraz on three occasions.

Djokovic has repeatedly nodded to the end of his extraordinary tennis career but is yet to reveal how long he plans to go on for.

Another humbling defeat to a player 16 years his junior may lead to more doubts Djokovic’s future but Henman expects the Serbian legend to play at the Australian Open at the start of 2026.

Djokovic is desperate to secure one last Grand Slam and ten of his 24 major titles have come in Melbourne.

Asked if he expected Djokovic to continue after his straight-sets US Open defeat to Alcaraz, Henman told Sky Sports: ‘I think he will.

‘I think he will give it one more year at the Australian Open. That’s where he’s had his greatest success. So I think he will have one more attempt down there. But maybe he doesn’t even know at this stage.

‘It was a brilliant performance from Alcaraz. Spare a thought for Novak, those first two sets so close but Alcaraz was able to come up with the answers and find solutions.

‘Novak faded fast but it’s another incredible performance from a 38-year-old to make four Grand Slam semi-finals. It was a step too far as it has been all year.’

Novak Djokovic’s final US Open?

‘With Novak Djokovic’s walk-off at the end of the match, we have a lot to unpack,’ ex-American tennis player Ryan Harrison told Sky Sports.

‘It didn’t look like someone who is definitively sure if they are going to see that court again.

‘Carlos didn’t play his best match but won in straight sets which tells you his level of improvement over the last couple of years – even the last nine months to when he lost to Djokovic in Australia.

‘It feels like Carlos has taken the next step. He has heard the noise around him not being at his best early in a tournament. He is playing well, serving unbelievably well after some adjustments.

‘It signals a changing of the guard when Carlos says he didn’t play his best match and still won in straight sets.

‘Carlos was just being honest and he knows he will have to play better in the final if he faces Sinner as we anticipate.

‘Novak is firmly No. 3 and it looks like he is getting further from the goal’

Speaking in his on-court interview, Alcaraz said it was a ‘great feeling’ to reach another Grand Slam title but insisted he was ‘not at his best level’.

The Spaniard is looking to add a sixth Grand Slam title to his collection and his first at Flushing Meadows since 2022.

‘It is a great feeling to be in the final again,’ Alcaraz said. ‘It was not the best level today, but I kept a good level from the start to the last point.

‘I think I served pretty well which was important today. I tried to play a physical match and I think I did it.

‘In general, I played great tennis and I am happy to be in my second final at the US Open.’

Alcaraz’s victory means he is still yet to drop a set at the US Open. No player has won the entire tournament without dropping a set.

World number one Sinner has dropped just one set so far and will be expected to prove too strong for Auger Aliassime, who is competing in his second US Open final.

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