“It’s getting closer” — Novak Djokovic says he’s been thinking more about retiring from tennis
Novak Djokovic says he doesn’t pay much attention to talk about his tennis future, though he admits that retirement is “closer than ever.”
The 39-year-old recently won his first title of the year at the China Open, marking the 102nd win of his amazing career. Even though he hasn’t won a Grand Slam since the 2023 US Open, Djokovic is still playing well. He was runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open and made it to the semi-finals at Wimbledon, where he lost to the champion, Jannik Sinner.
Djokovic is currently ranked 12th in the world and hopes to add another trophy at this week’s Swiss Indoors ATP 500 event in Basel.
In recent years, some have said Djokovic should retire while he’s still near the top of his game, to protect his incredible legacy. It’s a tough balance for him because he believes he can still compete at the highest level and dreams of ending his career with another Grand Slam win.
When asked if it bothers him to hear people say he should retire, Djokovic told Serbian outlet Sportal, “Well, there will always be speculation as long as there are people. It’s natural—people like to judge without knowing all the facts. But I’m used to it and don’t pay it much mind. I’m not angry about that; some other things make me angrier.”
Djokovic’s future was also featured in a recent documentary called *Novak Djokovic: The Wolf in Winter*, released late August. Before the film’s release, he talked about retiring and shared advice from tennis great Andre Agassi, who appears in the documentary.
“I find it amazing to hear how other all-time greats dealt with letting go,” Djokovic said at Fanatics Fest in New York. “I still believe I can compete at the top, and my results show that. But yes, the time is coming—it’s definitely closer than ever. Andre Agassi said, ‘I don’t know when Novak’s end will come, but when it does, it will come fast.’ I think he’s right. Of course, I think about it. There’s no perfect way to retire. Some athletes want to leave on top, some leave because their body won’t cooperate, and some because others have outplayed them. Maybe it’s a mix of all that. For now, I’m just trying to enjoy playing. I’ll think about this more later.”