What Tennis Star Novak Djokovic Said About Retiring at His Age
Novak Djokovic is one of the most famous and successful tennis players in the world. The Serbian star began his professional career in 2003 and he’s been impressive to watch ever since. Today he holds the all-time record of men’s major singles titles.
But there comes a point in every GOAT’s career when they’re asked about retiring especially after some of the other greats they competed against for so long have already called it a career. For Djokovic, those athletes are Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. In 2022, Federer announced his retirement from the sport after more than two decades. And in 2023, Nadal said that 2024 would be his final season.
Now, Djokovic is being asked about his future. Here’s what he had to say.
How old is Novak Djokovic?
Djokovic was born on May 22, 1987, in Belgrade, Serbia, to parents Dijana (née Žagar) and Srdjan.
He has two younger brothers Marko and Djordje, who have both played professional tennis as well. But a career like Djokovic’s is one that has earned him a place in the record books and a spot on the Mount Rushmore of tennis superstars.
Five years after turning pro Djokovic disrupted the dominance of Federer and Nadal by winning his first major title at the Australian Open. Over the years some commentators and fans alike began referring to the trio as “The Big Three.” But with the questions about Federer and Nadal’s futures in the sport answered, the attention has turned to Djokovic’s.
Djokovic shares thoughts on how long he wants to continue playing tennis
Given his long career and the fact that his legacy is already cemented, Djokovic was asked how much longer he wants to play the game. He revealed that he’s “divided” on the subject because of his family.
Today, he and his wife, Jelena, have two children. They welcomed their first child, a son they named Stefan, in 2014. Then in 2017, their daughter, Tara, was born.
“To be honest, I’m kind of divided,” Djokovic admitted in an interview during the 2024 United Cup (per Tennis365). “There’s always a part of me that is a young boy who just adores tennis and knows only about tennis and devoted his entire life to tennis and that boy still wants to keep going.
“On the other side, I am a father of two children. And I am away from my family. And every time I travel for extended periods of time, it breaks my heart. I’m still hungry, I still want to compete, I still can run for hours, thankfully, but it’s more of an emotional aspect. It’s more of like, ‘What is the priority?’ Tennis has been the priority for 30 years, and I don’t want to miss out on too many moments with my children.”
As for what’s on tap for him the rest of the year and what tournaments we’ll see him in, Djokovic said: “I started this year as I normally would, coming earlier to Australia … I’ve had the best success of my tennis career at Grand Slam level on Australian soil. After that? I really don’t know. Normally I do have clarity on where I want to go, what are the goals, and I know the goals are always the Grand Slams and the Olympics. But other than that, I have no idea what other tournaments I will play or not play.”
