Is Novak Djokovic planning retirement? Boris Becker believes 2026 could mark the end
Boris Becker believes that Serbia’s legendary tennis star Novak Djokovic might well have hinted at his retirement plans after his recent knockout from the U.S. Open. The 38-year-old, who is arguably regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men’s tennis in the singles category in the Open era, having won as many as 24 Grand Slam titles, was knocked out of the recently concluded mega-event after losing to Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinal with a score of 6-4, 7-6, 6-2.
It was Djokovic’s fourth consecutive defeat in the semifinal of a Grand Slam this year. He was forced to retire against Germany’s Alexander Zverev. At the French Open and Wimbledon, Djokovic lost to Italy’s Jannik Sinner in straight sets. Talking after the match, Djokovic stated that he will continue to fight for Grand Slams in 2026 but also admitted that it is getting tougher for him to compete with younger players like Alcaraz and Sinner at the highest level, who, according to him, are arguably two of the best players in the world.
Former world number one Becker recently spoke in the Becker Petkovic podcast, where he stated that Djokovic’s statement about continuing to play in the Grand Slams in 2026 is a hint that he might finish his career at the end of the U.S. Open next year. Becker stated that in his opinion, Djokovic’s desire to play in the 2028 Olympics is not realistic.
“I’ll start with the first semifinal against Alcaraz-Djokovic,” said Becker. “First of all, it’s remarkable how Djokovic really kept up well for two sets. Especially in the second set, he may even have to win. But another time Alcaraz was just physically and then in the third also player-wise stronger. We didn’t want to be surprised by that. Djokovic is 38 years old. But the fact that he is really the third strongest player on the tour, is very good for the Serbian, but actually bad for the rest. On the one hand, Novak also admitted for the first time after the game that it is no longer feasible for him to play against Sinner or Alcaraz. And he also doesn’t know how long his Grand Slam career will continue.”
He continued by saying: “It was openly announced for the first time that maybe 2026 will be his last Grand Slam year. He said that he can still keep up with these two. That’s true. But why does he play tennis? To win Rome or Monte Carlo or Cincinnati for the 17th time or to win another 25 Grand Slam titles. I think it’s the second. And I think he has now admitted that because of his age and also the strength of the young player, he can no longer realistically achieve it. What does that mean exactly? Exactly. Does that mean that he will stop at some point? Do you have an idea when that could be? Do you think he will play another Grand Slam year? On the other hand, he still dreams of Olympia 28, where he wants to defend the gold medals for Serbia. That’s in three years. Personally, I find that unrealistic. But US Open already sounded a bit like a goodbye to me.”
Djokovic is at the end of his dreams, says Becker
Becker further went on to explain why he believes that the time is very near for Djokovic to bid farewell to the game. Becker stated that one of Djokovic’s wishes was to be respected by tennis fans all over the world, something he has managed to achieve. Becker was of the opinion that after achieving well-deserved respect from the tennis community, Djokovic has now started to think about why he should play anymore at the highest level.
“He [Djokovic] is actually at the end of his dreams,” said Djokovic. ”He is finally respected and valued by all tennis-loving people in New York, Paris and London. I think they finally understood what a life performance Novak Djokovic had. And how important he is for the younger generation, as a symbol of that. So if you think he’s good, he’s going to the 53rd time in the semifinals of a Grand Slam. When I heard that number, I said, that’s not possible. That’s a typo. 53 times in the semifinals of a Grand Slam. You know that? No one will achieve that anymore. And I think now the circle is closed for him.”
He continued by saying: “Yes, he is the most successful player, but now finally valued again. Where is the motivation then? He has played against the spectators for 17, 18 years. Now they embrace him. Now they respect him. Then the last reason for his success goes out the window, because he doesn’t have to play anymore. But the question is, does he make it to the sports semifinals of a Grand Slam? 99% of the players would say, only once in the semifinals of a Grand Slam, and I immediately sign it. He has a different career. He has a different goal. I think for the first time he really thinks about how long he still wants to play tennis, how long he still wants to play Grand Slam tennis, and above all, why.”