Novak Djokovic insider reveals retirement plan – and it won’t be abrupt like Rafael Nadal’s exit
Novak Djokovic has made it clear that he has no intention of retiring just yet, but when that big announcement does arrive, don’t expect his farewell from tennis “to be abrupt”, according to someone close to the tennis great.
With limited success on the ATP Tour in recent years, many have suggested that the 24-time Grand Slam winner’s retirement is not too far away, but Djokovic himself has insisted that “I want to keep on going” as he still loves playing tennis.
So what kind of farewell can we expect from the greatest tennis player of all time? Will he make a sudden exit like his great rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer? Or will he announce his retirement date well in advance?
Nadal announced his decision to hang up his racket in October 2024 with his last tournament the Davis Cup in Malaga the following month.
Federer played his final match in September 2022 at the Laver Cup, only a few weeks after he made an official announcement.
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Sport Klub and Clay journalist Saša Ozmo, who has been close to the Djokovic camp for several years, shared his insights on what we can expect when the great man eventually calls it a day.
“Knowing Novak, he’ll do his best to have a farewell tour, to maybe go to some of the places he didn’t visit as a player that much and go to some of the places that were his favourite tournaments,” Ozmo he told Express Sport.
“I don’t expect it to be a full year, let’s say a retirement year, like [NBA great] Kobe Bryant had, for example, but a few tournaments; I don’t expect it to be abrupt.”
In a recent interview, Djokovic stated he plans on playing for at least another two years as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics ” is kind of a guiding star”.
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Djokovic will be 41 years old by the time the 2028 Games take place in LA and he will be the defending champion after beating Carlos Alcaraz in the Paris 2020 final – and Ozmo says it is a massive goal.
“I mean, it’s crazy, but he’s been known to want and succeed in doing crazy things. So, playing until LA 2028 is a huge goal, considering he has been very injury-prone over the last couple of years.
“It’s just like with everybody, the older you get, the more problems with your body you have. And even though Novak probably was one of the fittest athletes ever, when it comes to taking care of his body, nutrition and whatnot, but still, you can’t beat Father Time; he is obviously looking to postpone it as far as he can.”
Although the 2028 Olympics are the ultimate goal, fitness, injury, form and his performances at the Grand Slam will also play key roles in deciding when to retire.
Djokovic has not won a Grand Slam since lifting the 2023 US Open trophy with Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner dominating the major scene the past two years. In fact, his last Slam final was at Wimbledon in 2024 when he lost in straight sets against Alcaraz.
Despite that, he remains the best of the rest as he reached the semi-finals of all four majors in 2025.
Ozmo added: “But there are a lot of other factors at play, too, and I think Novak has begun to reconcile, maybe, with the fact that he won’t be able, perhaps, to win another Grand Slam; we’ve seen it in his quotes post Wimbledon and after the US Open. So, yes, I think it is a source of motivation, but not necessarily the key one.
“I think the key for him, playing into his 40s, will be his body. If his body holds up, and he can play on this kind of level, being a top-five player, then, OK.
“But if he starts losing at Slams in the second or third round, that might be the catalyst for his decision to retire sooner rather than later. Let’s see, he looked pretty good last year.”
