Novak Djokovic's parents hint at possible retirement
- Doug Mattushek
- 28 July 2023
Novak Djokovic's parents would be fully in support of their son should he decide to call quits on his stellar career.
As great as Novak Djokovic is, Father Time remains undefeated...
The Serb had been in indomitable form in the last three seasons, winning six out of the nine grand slams he's competed in. However, there's an argument to be made that Djokovic's loss to rising star Carlos Alcaraz in the recent Wimbledon final was a passing of the torch.
Much was made of the age difference between the pair - 16 years - adding fuel to the rumour mill that Djokovic's time on court is about to come to an end.
Speaking on Sportal's documentary 'Novak Djokovic - Untold Stories', Novak's father Srdjan believes he will retire in 2024.
"As far as my wishes for him go, he has already fulfilled them all seven or eight years ago," he said.
"The rest is this amazing bonus. Tennis is only one segment of his life, not his whole life, I expect him to be recognized for the things he will do after his career ends as well, after he leaves the tennis world, which I hope it will happen next year.
"It's not the end, but in a year-and-a-half let's say. My wish as a father - I think for some time that he should have stopped working this extremely difficult job. It's physically and mentally challenging and very demanding - with him being fully dedicated for 30 years, and not taking his foot off the gas, there is not much time for other things in life."
Novak's mother, Dijana, echoed her husbands words, pointing out that there is little left for her son to achieve in the sport.
"It's all up to him," she said.
"As far as I'm concerned, he can retire right now - he has won everything."
With 23 majors, 94 titles, an Olympic medal and over $171 million earned in prize money alone, Dijana has a fair point...
