“Tennis is not the only thing, but if you wish to pursue it, I’ll be there for you.” That’s the kind of father Novak Djokovic is for his children. Dedicated and compassionate, regardless of what his professional commitments demand. We all saw it firsthand at Wimbledon. First came his emotional admission for his son if he wished to follow in his father’s footsteps after losing the event’s 2023 title to Carlos Alcaraz. Then this year, the Serbian star dedicated his triumphs at the grasscourt Major by pretending to play violin with his racket for his daughter Tara, who took violin classes all summer. But, we haven’t heard Nole’s version of fatherhood, or at least what he manifests for himself.

Djokovic has a young family who often more than always, accompany him for his ATP quests. Because the tour is a hectic year-long affair, the Serb likely wishes to spend more time with his wife, children, and parents. However, with no jump on retirement plans, the former World No. 1 sat for an exclusive feature with ‘LA NACION‘ before jetting off to Argentina for his exhibition showdown with soon-to-be-retired, Juan Martin del Potro. What’s interesting was Nole’s understanding of father or in his language – the “real sense of the word”.

During the sitdown, the 37-year-old was asked if his children understood the actual weight of his stellar achievements in the sporting words.  Casting doubts on whether they have a fully versed understanding of his achievements, Djokovic highlighted how he wishes to follow a set routine with his young children and stay at their disposal whenever needed – meaning permanent time away from the circuit. This, in turn, encapsulated Nole’s vision of a father for Stefan and Tara and not the always busy ‘Novak Djokovic,’ one of the most refined and formidable talents ever produced.

He said, “It is important they see me as a father in the real sense of the word, as a father who is at home, with them, who follows the routine, the time to go to bed, to get up, take them to school, talk to them about life, play with them. That’s the person I want to be for them, not the father “Novak Djokovic” who is outside. And I do everything to have that kind of relationship and it seems to be going well, but I don’t know. I imagine I won’t know until they grow up, but they are aware of what’s going on.”

To much surprise, Djokovic has been reeking of retirement this season. After admitting that he belongs “to that old guard that maybe can’t handle the youth anymore”, coupled with some ‘underwhelming’ results on tour-level events; Nole is far from his best. Moreover, his father also expressed his desire for Djokovic to retire, having achieved all his years ago.

Novak Djokovic’s father drew 2024 as the Serb’s retirement year

Serbian superstar Novak Djokovic has been on the grind for 30+ years now. Molding talent and achieving lifetime dreams takes blood, sweat, and tears. Having given it his all, the 24-time Major champion’s father Srdjan Djokovic wished nothing but a blissful life for him off-court. Moreover, he also touched down on several noteworthy points, with some screaming about the need for retirement and some heartwarming fans with Nole’s indispensable gift to his family.

His father said: “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. As far as my wishes for him go, he has already fulfilled them all seven-eight years ago. 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 will happen next year.”

After pocketing the elusive Olympic gold and, with it, concluding his long-drawn quest, Djokovic has lowkey been on a halt. He lost to 23-year-old Jannik Sinner twice in days now. With the Davis Cup approaching and ATP Finals, the Serb will have to gear up and once again,  showcase his athletic prowess if he wishes to extend his dominant run.