"I apologize": Novak Djokovic retires against Taylor Fritz in Six Kings Slam third-place match

Novak Djokovic retired from the match for third place at the Six Kings Slam against Taylor Fritz, and the American took the win with a score of 7-6(4), ret., after an hour and 16 minutes of battle in the first set.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion chose to retire from the match after conceding a close first set, apparently due to not being in his best physical condition for the match. "I don't feel very well. I apologize. I'm sorry you won't get a second set. It has been an incredible visit to Riyadh and for that, I thank you for the love."

"This is my third time here in three years. I hope to be here next year, if you want me. Now it's time to rest and play some tournaments before the end of the season," commented Djokovic after the match. "Credit to Taylor, I mean, we had some incredible games towards the end of that set, and it was one of the longest sets I've ever played, to be honest."

The World No. 5 currently has the Paris Masters and the Athens Open confirmed as his next commitments, although he recently admitted that he is only certain about his participation in Greece. Fritz, for his part, will return to the court next week at the Vienna Open, which starts this Monday, October 20.

The match for third place had no major bearing on the definition of the exhibition tournament, considering there was no greater monetary prize for the winner. Instead, it served as a prelude to the final that was played at the end of the day, where Carlos Alcaraz (World No. 1) and Jannik Sinner (World No. 2) faced each other in the Six Kings Slam 2025 final.