The undisputed GOAT completed his resume with an Olympic gold medal in Paris last summer; might he join Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in retirement next year?
As we make our way toward the 2025 season—which begins Monday, December 27 with the United Cup—our writers and editors tackle the most important questions of the new year.
Third question: Will 2025 be Novak Djokovic’s final season on tour?
Scroll down past this article to read more Burning Questions on 2025.
Djokovic achieved personal and national glory when he took Olympic gold back to Serbia; what will motivate the 24-time Grand Slam champion next season?
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JON LEVEY: When pro athletes start flirting with 40, any season could be their final one. Djokovic will turn 38 in 2025, and certainly has nothing left to prove. However, not only won’t it be his swan song on tour, I think it’s a question we’ll be pondering for several years to come. Here are three reasons why:
- Djokovic takes meticulous care of himself, right down to each teaspoon of Manuka honey. Thus far he seems immune to the nagging injuries that dog aging players. His schedule will focus on peaking at the biggest events to protect himself from excessive wear and tear.
- He got his gold medal in 2024, but didn’t win a Slam for the first time since 2017. Throw in the rise of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz and there will be speculation about whether Djokovic can get back to the top of the game. Doubt is this guy’s rocket fuel.
- Taking on Andy Murray to be his coach. Not only will having a contemporary as a wingman rejuvenate Djokovic, their roadshow feels like a Netflix series. They’ll demand at least a couple of seasons.
I’m not going to play forever…But I want to keep playing as long as I can.Novak Djokovic
PETE BODO: Athletes, fans and pundits often speak of “going out on top,” or the decision to call it a career before the inevitable decline brought on by age or diminishing powers. Barring unforeseeable circumstances, Novak Djokovic is unlikely to choose that route at the end of 2025.
Sure, things could come unglued for him. But Djokovic is still a fixture at the top of the game (all but two players would probably kill for his 2024 Grand Slam record of 16-3, never mind that Olympic gold medal). He may be down to No. 7 in the rankings but he’s in remarkable shape for his age (37). Above all else, he has a burning love for the game and all it has brought to him.
“I’m not going to play forever,” Djokovic has said, “But I want to keep playing as long as I can.”
Pete Sampras was the last great player among the few who quit while on top. After a period of struggle he was seeded No. 17 at the 2002 US Open but, in a sensational mic—er, racquet—drop, he won the title and never entered another tour event. He was sick and tired of the grind.
The thing is, Novak Djokovic is no Pete Sampras.
Djokovic has never lost his zeal or competitive drive. Overshadowed in various ways for most of his career by Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, he has always longed to be a universally embraced personage.
Djokovic loves being The Man. With friend and new coach Andy Murray (Djokovic’s real peer) on board, the D-train is likely to roll on. And on.
EMMA STOREY: When Novak Djokovic finally got his hands on Olympic gold at Paris 2024, for me it was the beginning of the end. The emotion spilled out of him as the statistically proven GOAT secured the only major accolade that had always eluded him – and I think part of me was surprised he didn’t call it a day there and then.
The man himself has spent much of this year denying any talk of retirement, despite the emotional farewells to both Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal. But when long-time friend Juan Martin del Potro brought him to Argentina for the final match of his career, Djokovic’s pre-event interview really stuck with me: “I am a bit sad because my greatest rivals have left. A part of me, in terms of tennis, also leaves with them.”
To me, Djokovic isn’t a man who’ll want to prolong his career at all costs, particularly when he’s seen what the ravages of injury have done to his greatest rivals at the end. While he surprised many with his decision to add Murray to his coaching team for the 2025 Australian Open, to me it feels like a determination to go out on top with another Major or two in his pocket, both for personal satisfaction and to gently remind the new generation of Alcaraz and Sinner that they’ve got a long way to go. In my opinion, we’ll see a retirement announcement sometime this summer—possibly even sooner, if he secures an 11th title in Melbourne.
Stay tuned for Thursday’s question: Which under-21 player will have the best 2025 season?
