When will Novak Djokovic retire? His father drops a hint

During the premiere of the documentary Novak Djokovic – Untold Stories, Srdjan Djokovic revealed his hopes that his son might retire in 2024. He expressed his desire for Novak Djokovic to be celebrated for his achievements even after leaving the tennis world. While acknowledging that it’s not yet the end, Srdjan hinted that the decision might be around a year and a half away.

The senior Djokovic expressed his thoughts on his son’s potential retirement from tennis. He revealed that, while it was not the end for Novak yet, he envisioned his son might consider retiring in about a year and a half. Srdjan also mentioned that Novak feels his son had already achieved his wishes seven or eight years ago, implying that tennis is just one aspect of his life and not the sole focus.

“Tennis is just a part of his life, not all of it,” he said.

Novak Djokovic’s mother, Dijana, also chimed in, suggesting that her son could potentially continue on the circuit for another year or two. However, she emphasised that the final call lies with Novak himself, adding that he has achieved so much in his career that he can stop whenever he wants.

Djokovic earlier withdrew from the National Bank Open, opting for additional rest after his loss to Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in the Wimbledon 2023 final.

Tennis Canada announced that Djokovic pulled out of the only Canadian stop on the ATP Tour schedule due to fatigue. The 36-year-old, 23-time Grand Slam champion was set to begin his hard-court preparations for the US Open after falling to the top-ranked Alcaraz last Sunday in a five-set final at Wimbledon.

“I have always enjoyed my time in Canada but after speaking with my team, we believe this is the right decision to take,” PTI quoted Djokovic as saying..

(With PTI inputs)

Updated: 29 Jul 2023, 06:55 AM IST