Novak Djokovic reveals retirement wish after dad let slip his post-tennis plans

Novak Djokovic has revealed that his dad has been nudging him towards retirement, and he himself has even toyed with the idea of stepping back from the sport.

The 37-year-old Serbian star, who remains the last man standing of the ‘big four’ following the exits of tennis legends Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray, could have already put down his racket – if his father Srdjan had his way. As Djokovic gears up for a shot at a record-breaking 25th major title at the Australian Open, he shared some insights into his father’s thoughts on retirement.

Speaking to Forbes, Djokovic said: “I don’t know if he’s going to be happy with me saying this, but my dad has been trying to retire me for a while now. He understands why I keep going, but he’s like: ‘What else do you want to do?'”.

Concerns from the 24-time Grand Slam winner’s father stem from the physical demands of the sport and its effects on his son and family. Djokovic admitted that the thought of retirement has crossed his mind, hinting he’d prefer a send-off akin to Federer’s – a grand celebration among fellow players at a significant event.

“I am thinking about how I want to end it and when I want to end it. No, actually, I take it back. I think more about the ‘how’ than the ‘when,'” he said.

However, he maintained his commitment to the game as long as he’s competitive at the highest level, saying: “If I start to lose more and feel there’s a bigger gap, that I face more challenges in overcoming those big obstacles in Grand Slams, then I’ll probably call it a day.”

These reflections mirror thoughts he shared ahead of last year’s Shanghai Masters where he expressed an enduring passion for the game. “My love for tennis will never fade away,” he said in October 2024.

“I have a lot of emotions when I’m playing, and not particularly only in the tournament, but also practice sessions. Sometimes it’s not always going your way, but I think my relationship with tennis goes much deeper than a tournament or a year or success or failure.

“It’s just a sport that I fell in love with when I was very young and I still have the love for the sport. Even when I retire from professional tennis, I feel like I’m going to stay in tennis, stay involved in different roles because I feel like I owe this sport a lot for what it has been giving to me.”

While Srdjan would prefer his son to walk away from the sport, it seems he does have a plan in place for the eventuality. With properties in New York and Monaco, Djokovic Jnr and his family could settle anywhere in the world, yet Srdjan has revealed his son’s plan to return to his home city of Belgrade in Serbia.

“When Novak finishes his tennis career, he will live in his city Belgrade, his country Serbia,” he said. “I think there is no greater satisfaction, pride and success than your child spreading the glory of his people and his country all over the world.”

In 2018, Djokovic bought a £505,000 three-bedroom penthouse in New Belgrade, overlooking Lake Pavlova, where he may one day enjoy the view. However, he is currently focused on winning his next major in Melbourne, which would make him the all-time major winner.

To achieve such a feat, he faces a challenging path, starting with American wildcard Nishesh Basavareddy on January 13. He may then face Reilly Opelka, who beat him in the third round at the Brisbane International recently.

Djokovic’s potential quarter-final opponent is Carlos Alcaraz, followed by Alexander Zverev in the semis, and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the final. Winning the competition would certainly cement his status as the greatest player in history.