Novak Djokovic, star player and 24-time Grand Slam Champion shared his retirement plans and revealed that he can still compete at the highest level. However, the Serbian tennis icon has been thinking about how he wants to end his career. As he prepares for the 2025 Australian Open, Djokovic made it clear that his desire to compete is as strong as ever. He’ll face wildcard Nishesh Basavareddy in the opening round on Sunday, January 12, with former world number one Andy Murray joining his coaching team.
Novak Djokovic: One Of The All Time Greats
The Australian Open has been one of the most successful Grand Slam for Djokovic and if he wins this one also then his record would extend to 11. He has cemented his place as one of the all time greats in Tennis. With 24 Grand Slam titles under his belt, Djokovic is currently unmatched among active players, with Carlos Alcaraz still trailing by 20 titles.
Djokovic Still Has A Lot Of Potential
His biggest rivals have already retired- Federer in 2022, Murray in 2024 and Nadal just couple of months back. But Djokovic on the other hand is still going strong and he also mentioned that he is more focused on the way he wants to finish his career.
Novak Djokovic’s Father Wants Him To Retire
“If you solely look at it from the perspective of completing achievements and the game itself? Then, yeah, I mean, I guess [I have beaten the sport].” Djokovic told GQ
“I don’t know if he’s going to be happy with me saying this,” Djokovic shared, “but my dad has been trying to retire me for a while now. He understands why I keep going, but he’s like: ‘What else do you want to do?'” His father’s concerns stem from the toll that the sport takes on Djokovic’s body and the ripple effect it has on those closest to him.
Novak Djokovic Thinking About How He Wants To End His Career
“I am thinking about how I want to end it and when I want to end it,” he said. “No, actually, I take that back. I think more about the ‘how’ than the ‘when.'”
“If I start to lose more and feel there’s a bigger gap, that I face more challenges in overcoming those big obstacles in Grand Slams, then I’ll probably call it a day,”
“If I still feel like I can beat the best players in the world in Grand Slams, why would I want to stop now?” Djokovic concluded.
