Novak Djokovic has once again addressed the never-ending questions about retirement, this time from Athens. The 24-time Major champion made it clear he is in no hurry to walk away.
The 38-year-old admitted that the thought of stopping has crossed his mind more than once following great successes or setbacks. Still, he insists that only he will decide when the timecomes to leave his beloved sport and close a memorablechapter.
Djokovic understands the curiosity surrounding his future, especially after everything our sport has to offer following last year's Olympic Games gold medal in Paris. Many expected him to retire after Paris, which did not happen.
Novak believes he has earned the right to compete on his terms. He emphasized that he continues to play for the love of the game and not to satisfy anyone's expectations or timelines, not thinking about that at all.
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A couple of days ago, the Belgrade native harshly responded to Angelo Binaghi when the Italian Tennis Federation president confirmed his participation at the ATP Finals without hearing a word from him or his team.
Simply, the veteran did not like that pressure! Djokovic also drew a parallel with Stan Wawrinka, who has also expressed frustration over repeated retirement questions. Novak echoed the Swiss' sentiment and proclaimed - just let me play.
For the Serb, tennis remains a passion and a way of life, even with over 70 notable titles by his name. It's not a burden or a countdown to an ending, not after standing in the top-4 on the ATP Race well after turning 38.
Despite battling physical setbacks and managing a lighter schedule, Djokovic continues to perform at the highest level, especially at Majors. He still adds new chapters to his legendary career despite already achieving everything.
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Whether we will see him or not in Turin, or if 2026 becomes his farewell season, which is unlikely, one thing is certain.Novak Djokovic will decide his finish line, and no one else! On the other hand, we should all leave him alone and let him play as long as he wants.
The Serb is chasing his 101st ATP title in Athens this week before making a decision about his ATP Finals participation.
"Have I ever considered retiring? It's crossed my mind, more than once, thats for sure. However, I refuse to talk about it. I think I have earned the right to play as much as I want and whenever I want.
Stan Wawrinka often gets asked the same question, and I completely agree with him when he says, 'Leave me alone. Let me play, let me enjoy myself.' I understand people's curiosity about 'when,' but for me, there's no countdown in my mind.
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Of course, the thought has crossed my mind, but I have ultimately decided to play on my own terms, when I want to play and not when others think I should. That's all," Novak Djokovic said.
