Novak Djokovic’s wife Jelena reveals why 24-time major winner is ‘excited’ about retirement
Novak Djokovic’s wife Jelena has revealed that the 24-time major winner has “mixed feelings” about retirement.
On Thursday, Amazon released ‘Novak Djokovic: The Wolf in Winter’, giving tennis fans and viewers alike a chance to see the 39-year-old like never before.
The documentary follows the Serbian’s rise to the summit of tennis, while also focusing on his upbringing and the NATO bombings that rained down on Belgrade in 1999, his 2022 Australian Open visa controversy, and the spectre of retirement.
The latter is a constant topic of conversation as the film jumps back and forth over the course of Djokovic’s glittering career.
He himself said in the documentary that as long as he feels the drive, passion, and feeling he can be one of the world’s best players; Djokovic will keep going.
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Indeed, when asked about his desire to make it to the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, he said, “It seems a long way out. “I feel like I can make it. I would like to end with the Serbian flag on my shoulders. It would be a nice way to wrap up something I’m very proud of.”
In the documentary, Djokovic talks about how he can no longer prioritise tennis when he has a young family to look after. The Serb clearly adores his children Stefan and Tara and every time he leaves them for a tournament, it is gut-wrenching for them all.
So while Djokovic wants to enhance his legacy, his wife Jelena has lifted the lid on why he is also looking forward to hanging up his racket one day.
She said in the documentary, “He definitely has mixed feelings about his retirement. One side of him is excited because there’s so much to do in this world, and then there’s like, ‘Hey, but I love what I have achieved; I feel like I can push longer. Should I? Because this might not be the best thing for my family’.
“Now I am enabling him with having us around. I am trying to balance it, but he will find his way out. I don’t want to be telling him how. That’s not going to be on me.”
Conversely, Djokovic’s former coach and eight-time Grand Slam winner Andre Agassi gave his take on the veteran being plagued with retirement questions.
Like basketball legend Michael Jordan, Djokovic has that determination to prove his doubters wrong.
The American said in film, “I can see his frustration about having to answer questions about retirement. But at the same time I can also see that being part of the fuel that he might access to continue. He needs to do what, either in his mind or other people’s mind, is not achievable.”
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