'I think he will' – Tennis pundits all say the same thing about Novak Djokovic's future
Novak Djokovic was beaten by Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open semi-finals as he missed out on a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title, but the Serbian is yet to announce his retirement
Several tennis experts believe Novak Djokovic will continue competing despite the Serbian legend being eliminated from the US Open by Carlos Alcaraz earlier this month. The 38-year-old was chasing a record-breaking 25th Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows before Alcaraz brutally ended his quest in the semi-finals, and the Spaniard went on to win the tournament.
Djokovic secured Olympic gold last summer in Paris, which was the only major accolade that had escaped him. However, despite essentially conquering the sport by claiming every major multiple times, the 25th Grand Slam remains elusive for Djokovic as he grapples with fitness issues and the rise of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion has made the semi-final of all four majors in 2025 but fell to either World No. 1 Sinner or Alcaraz on three occasions.
Djokovic lost to Sinner in the last four at Wimbledon and the French Open, and he was forced to withdraw from his semi-final against Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open due to a hamstring problem.
The Serbian claimed his 24th Grand Slam crown two years ago at the 2023 US Open, but former British player Tim Henman doesn't believe he'll retire his racquet.
When questioned if he anticipated Djokovic would carry on following his straight-sets loss to Alcaraz, Henman told Sky Sports: "I think he will. I think he will give it one more year at the Australian Open.
"That's where he's had his greatest success. So I think he will have one more attempt down there. But maybe he doesn't even know at this stage."
Speaking on ESPN, the legendary John McEnroe confessed he remains uncertain about the Serbian's future, though he doesn't believe he'll retire just yet.
"I don't know. It's all up to him," McEnroe said. "In a way, I wouldn't be surprised if he stopped. But I would be surprised if he tried to go one more year. That would be my bet.
"He's been the third-best player in the world this year. That's what he was. He doesn't lose much, but he's always been gracious enough when he does. He always gives the players their due."
Tennis coach Rick Macci, who has mentored Venus and Serena Williams, among numerous other sport stars, believes Djokovic simply loves the game too much to step away.
"I think he'll keep playing simply because, once again, kind of like Venus [Williams] - but obviously it's different - he just loves the competition," he told Tennis365.
"Why would you want to put your body through that, get up every day, he has a family... you're not doing it for a paycheck! He just loves the competition. And I think if he feels he can win, okay, he'll continue to play."
He added: "I think he'll keep playing because he loves the competition. But, the minute he doesn't play the Grand Slams, game, set, match - he'll call it a career. But as long as he still loves it and he feels he has a chance, he's gonna go for it. And never, ever, ever underestimate the heart of a champion."
Djokovic has kept his cards close to his chest regarding his future. After his defeat in New York, the four-time US Open champ admitted that his chances of beating Alcaraz and Sinner are dwindling, but he didn't throw in the towel.
"It will be very difficult for me in the future to overcome the hurdle of Sinner and Alcaraz in best-of-five; I have a better chance in best-of-three," he said.
"I'm not giving up on Grand Slams in that regard. Having said that I'm going to continue fighting and trying to get to the finals, to fight for the trophy, at least, but it's going to be a very difficult task."
