Novak Djokovic’s tough season continued at the US Open as he was beaten in the first round of a Grand Slam for the first time since 2006.

Djokovic lost a five-set battle to Mariano Navone in New York, which confirmed his third loss in a row dating back to his Wimbledon semi final defeat to Jannik Sinner in July.

The Serbian was also dumped out of the Cincinnati Open in the first round and his US Open loss has opened up a further debate about the star’s future in the sport.

Djokovic refused to talking about retirement and has long suggested he won’t hung up his racket until the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, but many think it might be time for the 24-time Grand Slam champion to think about the end of his career.

Boris Becker, who knows Novak Djokovic well having coached him between 2013 and 2016, has now had his say on the Serbian’s future in tennis.

More Novak Djokovic news

In an interview with Sporteurope.tv, the former world No 1 said: “This can’t go on – it pains me deeply. He’s too big a superstar for that, so he’ll be thinking very carefully about what the future holds.

“He needs to think about the future. I have an idea, but I won’t say it on air; I’ll think about it a bit more. Eventually, it all comes to an end, and then the question is, where does one take that next step?” continued Becker.

One thing we know for sure is Djokovic shows no signs of slowing down and he is set to play another tennis tournament before this month ends.

Djokovic has signed up to the China Open at the end of September, a tournament he has not played since 2015 when he lifted the ATP 500 trophy.

The Serbian has an impeccable record at the event, having won the tournament six times and never tasted defeat in the Chinese capital.

Ahead of his appearance at the 2026 event, Djokovic holds a 29-0 record at the China Open.

He has signed up for the event alongside the likes of Jannik Sinner, who will be making his return to action in Beijing, as well as Alexander Zverev and Felix Auger-Aliassime.

The tournament begins on September 30th and runs until October 11th. Sinner is the holder of the title, having beaten Learner Tien in last year’s final.

Djokovic, meanwhile, is also set to play the Six Kings Slam in October and he suggested he might play the Hellenic Championships in November, having won the inaugurual tournament in Athens last year.