Novak Djokovic's retirement date predicted by Serena Williams' ex-coach – 'It's perfect'
Novak Djokovic has not won a Grand Slam title since the 2023 US Open and has been tipped to retire from tennis in the very near future after struggling to match his old standards
Novak Djokovic's legendary career may be drawing to a close following the prediction he'll hang up his racket some time after the 2026 Australian Open. That's the view of former world No. 1 doubles champion Rennae Stubbs, who coached Serena Williams in her final tennis chapter.
Djokovic, 38, reached this month's US Open semi-finals before eventual winner Carlos Alcaraz knocked him out in straight sets. This means 2025 marks the first year since 2009 that Djokovic has played all four Grand Slam events without reaching a singles final.
Stubbs, who mentored Williams at the 2022 US Open before her retirement, reckons the 24-time major winner will soon decide to step away from Grand Slam competition. What's more, she's backing him to make that call after next year's Australian Open, which is just four months away.
"I feel like the Australian Open is going to be his last major tournament to play," she said on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast (via the Daily Express). "I don't think he wants to keep playing after that and have to go through the French Open.
"He is so good on every surface but I can't see him beating these guys over five sets on clay and then to go to Wimbledon again. I feel like the Australian Open would be a great way to finish his career. It's where his Grand Slam titles started.
"We know the mercurial side to the Australian Open and what it has meant to him. It has been love or hate, which seems perfect for his career in a lot of ways."
By the time next year's Melbourne major wraps up, Djokovic will be approaching his 39th birthday. The seasoned vet, who was booed at this year's Australian Open, already possesses the record for most major singles titles claimed by any player in tennis history, having overtaken Williams when he triumphed at the US Open towards the end of 2023.
However, the 10-time Australian Open champion, who has been backed by some pundits to keep competing, hasn't managed to secure another Grand Slam trophy since that victory. Moreover, he has only reached one major final (Wimbledon 2024) across eight attempts following that triumph.
The emerging forces of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have created a barrier between him and the showpiece occasions he was once so familiar with dominating multiple times each year. The next wave of men's tennis will influence any choice he makes about his Grand Slam prospects.
After his straight-sets defeat to Alcaraz at Flushing Meadows this month, Djokovic recognised the talent of the emerging stars. In a heart-breaking admission for his supporters, the most accomplished tennis player ever, who also possesses an Olympic gold medal and has ruled as world No. 1 for longer than any other, admitted he's no longer matching their standard.
"I lost three out of four Slams in semis against these guys, so they're just too good, playing on a really high level," he told reporters in New York. "Unfortunately, I ran out of gas after the second set. I think I had enough energy to battle him and to keep up with his rhythm for two sets.
"After that I was gassed out, and he kept going. That's kind of what I felt this year also with Jannik. Yeah, best-of-five makes it very, very difficult for me to play them, particularly if it's the end stages of the Grand Slam."
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