Novak Djokovic set to deny dad’s retirement plea in fresh statement | Tennis | Sport

Aged 38, Novak Djokovic is still loving his time on the tennis tour. The 24-time Grand Slam champion has already achieved virtually everything possible in the sport, but he isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. The world No. 5 renewed his desire to keep playing this week, simply claiming that retirement “wasn’t happening”.

While the tennis world will be glad to keep the Serbian superstar around for as long as possible, his own father, Srdjan, might not be as happy with Djokovic’s latest admission. Two years ago, Srdjan expressed his wish to see the 38-year-old walk away from the sport, but that won’t be happening anytime soon.

Virtually every time Djokovic finishes a tournament, there is retirement speculation. The world No. 5 isn’t winning as many titles as he used to, and his body has also been giving him more trouble the older he gets.

However, Djokovic continues to prove that he can hang with the best of them. He reached the semi-finals of all four Majors this year, lifted his 100th title in Geneva, and currently sits third in the race, having played 12 tournaments in 2025.

And the former world No. 1 has now made it clear that he’s not thinking about retirement yet. Djokovic joined Shaquille O’Neal, Dana White, and Max Kellerman for a discussion at the Joy Festival in Riyadh on Thursday.

Asked about retirement, he simply said: “It is not happening, I am sorry to disappoint them [the younger players].”

Elaborating, Djokovic added: “Longevity is one of my biggest motivations. I really want to see how far I can go. If you see across all the global sports, Lebron James, he is still going strong, he is 40.

“Cristiano Ronaldo, Tom Brady played until he was 40-something years old, it is unbelievable.

“They are inspiring me as well, so I want to keep going, that is one of the motivations I have and then I want to also live to see, live meaning keep on playing professionally, what is coming for our sport, and I am super excited about it.”

However, Djokovic’s dad, Srdjan, has long been keen for the 24-time Major winner to step away. Speaking in the Novak Djokovic Untold Stories documentary in 2023, he said: “As far as my wishes for him go, he has already fulfilled them all seven, eight years ago. The rest is this amazing bonus.

“Tennis is only one segment of his life, not his whole life. I expect him to be recognised for the things he will do after his career ends as well, after he leaves the tennis world, which I hope it will happen next year. And for Novak to slowly but surely… it’s not the end, but in a year and a half, let’s say.

“My wish as a father – I think for some time that he should have stopped working this extremely difficult job. It’s physically and mentally challenging and very demanding – with him being fully dedicated for 30 years, and not taking his foot off the gas, there is not much time for other things in life.”

It’s been more than a year and a half since Djokovic’s dad shared his wish, and it’s yet to come true. The 38-year-old has, however, become more selective with his schedule in recent seasons, balancing his personal and professional lives, and it will stay that way for the foreseeable future.