When pro athletes start flirting with 40, any season could be their last. Djokovic will turn 38 in 2025, and certainly has nothing left to prove. I think this is a question that we will be pondering for many years to come. Here are three reasons why:
1. Djokovic takes careful care of himself, under every spoonful of manuka honey. Thus far he appears to be immune to the painful injuries that dog aging athletes experience. His schedule will focus on the biggest events to save himself from excessive wear and tear.
2. She won her gold medal in 2024, but didn’t win a Slam for the first time since 2017. The rise of Janic Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz has increased and there will be speculation about whether Djokovic can return to the top. Sports doubt is this man’s rocket fuel.
3. Making Andy Murray his coach. Not only will being contemporary as a wingman rejuvenate Djokovic, but his road show feels like a Netflix series. They will demand at least a couple of seasons.
Patty Bodo: Athletes, fans and pundits often speak of “going over the top”, or deciding to call it a career before the inevitable decline due to age or declining powers. Barring unforeseen circumstances, Novak Djokovic is unlikely to choose this route in late 2025.
Sure, things can unravel for him. But Djokovic still dominates the game (all but two players will probably beat his 2024 Grand Slam record of 16-3, never mind an Olympic gold medal). He may have dropped to 7th in the rankings but he is in remarkable form for his age (37). Above all, he loves the game and all it has brought him.
“I won’t play forever,” Djokovic has said, “but I want to keep playing as long as I can.”
Pete Sampras was the last of the few greats to quit while at the top. After a period of struggle he was seeded No. 17 at the 2002 US Open but, in a sensational mic—er, racket—drop, won the title and never entered another tour event. He was sick and tired of grinding.
The thing is, Novak Djokovic is not Pete Sampras.
Djokovic has never lost his enthusiasm or competitive drive. Overshadowed in various ways by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for most of his career, he has always aspired to become a globally accepted figure.
Djokovic loves being The Man. With friend and new coach Andy Murray (Djokovic’s actual age), De Train is likely to run. And on.
Emma Story: When Novak Djokovic finally won Olympic gold at Paris 2024, it was the beginning of the end for me. Emotion welled up inside him as the statistically proven GOAT won the only major honor that had ever eluded him – and I think part of me was surprised he didn’t call it a day there and then. What did
The man himself has spent much of this year denying any talk of retirement, despite bidding emotional farewells to both Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal. But when longtime friend Juan Martin del Potro brought him to Argentina for the final match of his career, Djokovic’s pre-event interview really stuck with me: “I’m a little sad because my biggest rival is gone. A part of me also leaves with him when it comes to tennis.
To me, Djokovic is not a man who would want to prolong his career at all costs, especially when he has seen the ravages of injury in the end for his biggest rivals.
Although he surprised many with his decision to add Murray to his coaching team for the 2025 Australian Open, for me it was a personal satisfaction and a gentle reminder, one in his pocket. Or what a commitment to top with a double major feels like. The new generation of Alcaraz and Sinner have a long way to go. In my opinion, we’ll see a retirement announcement sometime this summer – possibly sooner, if he secures an 11th title in Melbourne. –Tennis.com