Melbourne: Serbian tennis legend Novak Djokovic has stated that he is not yet prepared to retire, despite his father's ongoing suggestions for him to do so. The 24-time Grand Slam champion also shared his thoughts on when he might consider stepping away from the sport.
Djokovic is set to compete in the Australian Open, aiming to achieve three significant milestones: securing an unprecedented 11th Australian Open title, claiming his record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title—the highest in both men's and women's tennis—and reaching a total of 100 ATP Tour titles.
He will face USA's Nishesh Basavareddy in the first round on Sunday.
In an interview with GQ Magazine, as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald, Djokovic remarked, "My dad has been trying to convince me to retire for some time now... He often asks, 'What else do you want to accomplish?' He recognizes the immense pressure and stress that come with this sport, which can impact my health and those around me, including him. That’s why he encourages me to consider how I want to conclude my career."
"I tend to focus more on how I want to finish rather than when. I’m not intensely preoccupied with it at this moment. If I start to notice a decline in my performance or face increasing challenges in major tournaments, then I might consider retiring. But for now, I feel good and plan to keep going," he added.
At 37 years old, Djokovic is one of the most accomplished players in tennis history, holding the record for the most Grand Slam titles by a male player, sharing the highest total of Grand Slam victories with any player, and achieving a Career Golden Slam after winning the Olympic gold medal in Paris against Carlos Alcaraz.
Djokovic has achieved remarkable success, securing the Australian Open title ten times, the French Open three times, Wimbledon seven times, and the US Open four times. Additionally, he has claimed seven ATP Finals championships and earned two Olympic medals, including a bronze in singles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
His most recent victory on the ATP tour was at the ATP Paris Masters in November 2023, while his latest Grand Slam triumph occurred at the US Open, where he defeated Daniil Medvedev in September of the same year.
Recently, Djokovic competed in the Brisbane International but was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Reilly Opelka. For this tournament, he will collaborate with tennis legend and former rival Andy Murray in a coach-player partnership.
