Novak Djokovic has stated that he wants to continue his career as long as he can compete at a high level in professional tennis. The Serb made it clear that for him age is less important than performance and physical well-being.
Djokovic sees no fixed time for retirement
Djokovic has won 24 Grand Slam singles titles in his career and holds the record as number one in the ATP world rankings for 428 weeks. Although his former rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have already ended their careers, the 38-year-old is still active on the ATP Tour and completed a very consistent season in 2025.
He reached the semifinals of all four Grand Slam tournaments and also celebrated his 100th ATP Tour title at the Geneva Open. At the end of the year he also won the Hellenic Championship in Athens. Despite only playing 13 tournaments, he finished the season in fourth place in the world rankings, behind Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev. Djokovic is the only player over 30 in the top 20.
Clear words at the World Sports Summit in Dubai
At the World Sports Summit in Dubai, Djokovic spoke openly about his future. He said, “I want to keep going.” He continued: “I said the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 is something of a guiding star, but honestly there is no limit. So let’s see what happens.”
The Serb emphasized his motivation: “I just keep going. I love hitting the tennis ball and I love the competition.” He also referred to conversations with athletes from other disciplines: “It’s really about passion and love.” He concluded: “As long as you feel like you’re playing at a high level and your body is willing, why not?”
After two years without a Grand Slam title and some physical problems, many observers speculated that his career would end. However, Djokovic made it clear that he would not allow himself to be put under pressure.
Looking ahead to the start of the 2026 season
Djokovic begins the 2026 season at the Adelaide International, where he won the title in 2023. He then competes at the Australian Open, a tournament he has won ten times. Most recently he failed there in the semifinals against Jannik Sinner in 2024 and had to give up injured against Alexander Zverev in the same round in 2025.
