Although he wants to continue competing at the highest level for a long time to come, there is no doubt that the end of Novak Djokovic’s career is not so far away. The former world No. 1 will turn 39 in 2026 and his body has sent him very clear signals in the last two seasons, preventing him from playing as often as he would have liked and limiting him in some of the most important matches in which he has been the protagonist.
The Serbian legend has lifted only one trophy this season, more precisely at the Geneva ATP 250, but that triumph took on a very special value because it represented the 100th title of his extraordinary career. Despite playing few tournaments, Nole was a regular in the Majors (where he always reached the semifinals) and was No. 3 in the ATP Race for some time before being overtaken by Alexander Zverev at the end of the Vienna ATP 500.
Djokovic is slowing down
The 24-time Grand Slam champion is undoubtedly the most anticipated player in Athens this week, while it is unclear whether or not he plans to participate in the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin scheduled for November 9-16.
Novak – who has already missed the most prestigious event on the ATP calendar in 2024 – has not given a certain answer in this regard for the moment, waiting to attend his first press conference in the Greek capital. He will make his debut against Chilean ace Alejandro Tabilo, who defeated him both in Rome last year and in Monte Carlo this season.
In an exclusive interview with ‘The Tennis Gazette’, former ATP ace Vladimir Voltchkov revealed what he would like Djokovic to do at the end of his professional career: “I personally would love to see [Novak] Djokovic commentating on some good tennis matches. If you’re smart enough, if you hear with your ears, there is a whole unwritten tennis bible there, if you just listen to those guys. I think we’re going to witness another legend sharing his wisdom in the next couple of years, and this is what we should concentrate on.”