🎾 What's Next for Novak?

Happy Tuesday! Djokovic's struggles continue with Madrid exit as retirement hints grow louder.

In this week's newsletter:

• 🐐 Novak Djokovic: Retirement Looming?

• 🎾 Weekly Roundup: Latest from Madrid

• 🧱 Player Spotlight: Moyuka Uchijima

🧠 Tennis Trivia Challenge 🧠

Think you know your tennis? Take a swing at this week’s question! Difficulty: Medium

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🐐 Novak Djokovic: Retirement Looming? 🐐

Novak Djokovic’s 2025 season has been defined by early exits, with four first-match losses without winning a set in Doha, Indian Wells, Monte-Carlo, and now Madrid. His only final appearance came in Miami, where he lost to teenager Jakub Menšík. The 37-year-old, without a title since the 2024 Paris Olympics, now faces an unfamiliar challenge.

"It's a completely different feeling from what I've had in 20-plus years of professional tennis," Djokovic admitted after his latest defeat. "It's a mental challenge to face these sensations, going out early regularly."

After falling in straight sets to Matteo Arnaldi in Madrid, Djokovic even hinted at retirement, stating it could have been his last match in Madrid. With a 12–7 record and still chasing his 100th career title, he heads to Rome without a clay-court win this season.

Djokovic remains focused on the majors despite his struggles: "Grand Slams are where I really want to play my best tennis. I'm not sure if I'll be able to at Roland Garros, but I'll do my best."

Is this just a rough stretch, or are we seeing the closing chapter of one of tennis’s greatest careers? Novak’s tone suggests the latter, but only time will tell.

🎾 Weekly Roundup: Latest from Madrid 🎾 

Power outage halted Madrid Open as blackout swept across Spain and Portugal yesterday, forcing all remaining matches to be postponed to today. With electronic line-calling systems down and a Spidercam left dangling dangerously near court level, players and fans navigated the darkened facilities using phone flashlights and candles.

Madrid top 8 check-in (men): Top seed Zverev and #3 Fritz are safely through to last 16, while #2 Alcaraz withdrew with adductor injury, #4 Djokovic fell to Arnaldi, #7 Rublev lost to Bublik, and #8 Rune retired against Cobolli. #5 Draper and #6 de Minaur play their Round of 32 matches today.

Madrid top 8 check-in (women): #4 Gauff and #7 Andreeva have advanced to the quarterfinals, while #3 Pegula lost to Uchijima, #6 Paolini fell to resurgent Sakkari, and #8 Zheng was eliminated by Potapova. #1 Sabalenka, #2 Świątek, and #5 Keys play their Round of 16 matches today.

Taylor Fritz reached his 300th career victory, becoming the first American man born in the 1990s to achieve the mark. Matteo Berrettini followed with his 200th win and Kei Nishikori with his 450th win.

Alexander Zverev pulled out his phone mid-match in Madrid to snap a photo of a disputed ball mark, earning a code violation. This playful protest of electronic line calling on clay follows Aryna Sabalenka's similar act in Stuttgart last week.

Andre Agassi makes his professional pickleball debut at this week's U.S. Open Championships, partnering with world No. 1 Anna Leigh Waters. "She's probably sick of winning so much," joked the eight-time Grand Slam champion about his teenage partner.

🧱 Player Spotlight: Moyuka Uchijima, Japan's Surprise Clay Specialist 🧱 

Born in Kuala Lumpur in 2001, Moyuka Uchijima moved to Tokyo at age seven, where she discovered the sport near her father Kazuto's office. After trying swimming and basketball but finding them too repetitive, she was drawn to tennis for its variety. Uchijima developed steadily through her junior years, reaching world No. 83 in the junior rankings and making the round of 16 at the 2018 US Open juniors. Though she didn't grow up playing on clay, she's gradually developed a special affinity for the surface, especially after winning an ITF event in Madrid last year, saying it "suits the way I play the most."

Now ranked No. 56, her 2025 Madrid run has been nothing short of spectacular, upsetting No. 26 seed Ons Jabeur and shocking third-seeded Jessica Pegula 6-3, 6-2 for her first Top 10 win. The run continues her strong 2025 form after taking Coco Gauff to three sets at Indian Wells and defeating Jelena Ostapenko in Dubai. On the verge of her Top 50 debut, Uchijima is building on the momentum from her first Grand Slam match wins at Roland-Garros and the US Open in 2024. After her latest breakthrough, she admitted, "I'm still in a dream," as her confidence continues to grow.

🎥 Reel of the Week 🎥