{"id":14492,"date":"2024-12-26T03:07:49","date_gmt":"2024-12-26T03:07:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=14492"},"modified":"2024-12-26T03:07:49","modified_gmt":"2024-12-26T03:07:49","slug":"will-2025-be-novak-djokovics-final-season-on-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=14492","title":{"rendered":"Will 2025 be Novak Djokovic\u2019s final season on tour?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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?<\/p>\n

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As we make our way toward the 2025 season\u2014which begins Monday, December 27 with the United Cup\u2014our writers and editors tackle the most important questions of the new year.<\/em><\/p>\n

Third question: Will 2025 be Novak Djokovic\u2019s final season on tour?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Scroll down past this article to read more Burning Questions on 2025.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Djokovic<\/picture><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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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?<\/p>\n

\u00a9\u00a0Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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JON LEVEY:<\/strong>\u00a0When 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\u2019t it be his swan song on tour, I think it\u2019s a question we\u2019ll be pondering for several years to come. Here are three reasons why:<\/p>\n

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  1. 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.<\/li>\n
  2. He got his gold medal in 2024, but didn\u2019t 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\u2019s rocket fuel.<\/li>\n
  3. 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\u2019ll demand at least a couple of seasons.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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    I’m not going to play forever…But I want to keep playing as long as I can.Novak Djokovic<\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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    PETE BODO:<\/strong>\u00a0Athletes, fans and pundits often speak of \u201cgoing out on top,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

    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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

    “I’m not going to play forever,\u201d Djokovic has said, \u201cBut I want to keep playing as long as I can.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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