Novak Djokovic's latest comments suggest his retirement may come sooner than even he expected

As the 24-time Grand Slam winning legend admitted he was facing a "new reality" after slumping to a third straight defeat against unseeded Italian Matteo Arnaldi at the Madrid Open, it was hard to escape the reality that this latest setback may have moved this iconic sportsman's retirement date forward.

Djokovic's latest loss came on the back of a defeat by Jakob Mensik in the Miami final and what he described as a "horrible" display as he lost in his first match of the Monte Carlo Masters against Alejandro Tabilo.

"Kind of a new reality for me, I have to say," conceded Djokovic. "Trying to win a match or two, not really thinking about getting far in the tournament - it's a completely different feeling from what I had in 20-plus years of professional tennis.

"It's a challenge for me mentally to really face these kinds of sensations on the court, going out early now regularly in tournaments.

"You can imagine in 20 years, you know, I didn't experience what I'm experiencing in the last 12 months. So, you know, early exits and, you know, way too many. But it is part of the sport, and you have to accept the circumstances and try to make the best out of the circumstances in your favour for whatever is coming up.

"Yeah, I mean, look, I cannot sit here and complain about my career or anything, you know, I'm not doing that. But it's a different feeling that I just have to embrace, accept, and deal with in a special way."

When asked if he had played his last match in Madrid, Djokovic gave a big hint that his last match as a professional may be sooner than even he expected a few weeks ago.

"It could be. It could be. I'm not sure if I will come back," he said when asked if he expected to be at the Madrid Open in 2026. "I don't know, 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."

He went to add some more telling comments as he made a stark confession that his body may no longer be supporting his ambition for one more shot at glory.

"I'm always trying to be optimistic, and I know what I'm capable of. But again, things are different, obviously, with my strokes, with my body, with my movement, it's the reality that I have to accept," he added. "I'll try to make the most out of these new circumstances that I have, particularly on Grand Slams, where it counts the most for me, at least where I would like to do my best. So let's see what happens."

Djokovic may well play at the Rome Masters, but it is clear that the two big tests on his horizon will come at next month's French Open and that at Wimbledon a few weeks later.

The warrior inside Djokovic will still dare to believe that when he steps onto a Grand Slam stage, the story will change from what he has been producing for much of the last year.

Yet this latest defeat was not a major surprise and that highlights the change of mindset around this legendary champion.

His aura has gone and players like Arnaldi believe they can add his legendary name to their list of victims.

That change of mindset has removed one of Djokovic's biggest weapons and if he goes out of the French Open and Wimbledon in the opening few rounds, the retirement question may well be answered for the most successful male tennis player of them all by the middle of July.

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