Novak Djokovic knows exactly where he’d love to end his legendary tennis career. The problem? He’s not sure his body will let him get there.
The 38-year-old just wrapped up his season by winning the 2025 Athens Open. It’s pretty cool that he and his family actually own the license for this tournament, which started in Belgrade last year before moving to Athens after Djokovic relocated there.
Despite qualifying for the ATP Finals – a tournament he’s won seven times – Djokovic decided to skip it entirely. He said he’d hoped to play but couldn’t manage it after a grueling match against Musetti and some nagging injury problems.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novak Djokovic | 38 | 8,360 | 18 - 6 |
Even though he’s still playing great tennis, everyone keeps asking the 38-year-old about retirement.
During his post-tournament press conference in Athens, Djokovic opened up about his dream ending.
“I’ve always had this throughout my life and my career, I’ve always had a schedule in my head for a year or more, what I want, how I want it. Since I’ve achieved absolutely all possible goals, I said about the 2028 Olympics because I wanted to play for so many more years. So maybe ending up at the Olympic Games with the Serbian flag, that would be nice.”
The 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. That’s his target.
But 2025 has been his toughest year physically. It started badly when he had to retire mid-match during his Australian Open semifinal against Alexander Zverev with an injury.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion made it to the semifinals of the other three Grand Slams this year, but he wasn’t in peak condition for any of them. He lost all three matches.
His body just isn’t holding up like it used to.
That reality means the 2028 Olympics might be wishful thinking. The best-of-three format gives him some hope compared to the grueling five-set Grand Slam matches, but even Djokovic admits he doesn’t know if he’ll last that long.
“I don’t know, I mean, I really don’t know, because there are some things that are not entirely in my control. I’m trying to be as healthy as possible mentally and physically.”
Chasing Federer’s Record
Djokovic’s victory over Lorenzo Musetti in Athens was his 101st career title. That puts him at No. 3 on the all-time ATP singles list.
Jimmy Connors sits at the top with 109 titles. Roger Federer is second with 103.
Djokovic needs just three more titles to pass his old rival Federer. The Swiss star has already watched Djokovic break his records for most weeks at No. 1 and most Grand Slams by a male player.
Now another Federer milestone is in jeopardy.
Until recently, the ten-time Australian Open winner mostly ignored smaller tournaments and focused on Grand Slams. But this year’s physical struggles have changed his thinking.
Djokovic has spoken openly about how tough it is to beat Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner over five sets at his age.
That might push him toward more winnable tournaments in 2026. Smaller events where he can rack up titles without the physical punishment of best-of-five matches.
It’s a pretty smart strategy for someone trying to squeeze every last achievement out of an already incredible career.
