Rafael Nadal retired last year, right? Now all eyes are on Djokovic. He’s the last of the Big Three still out there, remember? Roger Federer already called it quits back in ’22. With 24 Grand Slams under his belt – 10 Australian Opens, three French Opens, seven Wimbledons, and four US Opens – what else is there for the guy to achieve? Seriously, even his dad is wondering!

At 37, Djokovic still has enough fuel left to win big titles. Last season, although was his first season since 2005 without an ATP title, he showed that he could still perform on the big stage after defeating Carlos Alcaraz to win the Paris Olympics gold medal, in his fifth attempt across 16 years. Following his last triumph, he sensed a shift in perception. The media and fans alike seemed to be writing his tennis obituary. Media. Fans. His dad!

During an interview with GQ on Thursday, he revealed how his father was influencing his retirement plans, saying, “And I don’t know if he’s going to be happy with me to say this, but I’m going to say it anyway. It starts with my dad. My dad is trying to retire me for a while now. No, honestly! But he hasn’t been pushy. He respects my decision to keep going. And of course he understands why I want to keep going, but he’s like: What else do you want to do?”

“He understands the amount and the intensity of the pressure and tension that is out there, and the stress that has an effect on my health, my body, and then, consequently, on everyone else who is around me, including him. So that’s why he was like: ‘My son, start to think about how you want to end this,'” Djokovic added.

Djokovic candidly described the emotional toll of leaving his family for tournaments. He explains that the initial separation is the most challenging, with packing up and the first few nights in the hotel being particularly difficult. “Within 48 hours,” he confesses, “the intensity of those emotions peaks – sadness, separation, regret, and an overwhelming longing to be back with my children and wife.”

However, he notes that these feelings gradually subside as his family becomes immersed in their own lives, jokingly admitting that they often forget about him while he’s away. Djokovic emphasizes the importance of being present for all significant family events, like birthdays, anniversaries, etc.

While, “Tennis is still my biggest megaphone to the world”, Djokovic himself admitted, “Yes, I mean if you solely look at it from the perspective of completing achievements and the game itself? Then, yeah, I mean I guess…” of having everything achieved that one can achieve in tennis.

In another interview, he said, “For now, I feel like I want to keep going. How much longer? Travelling and finding motivation is becoming more difficult for me. It’s not easy. And even less so with children. I don’t want to be away from home for so long, but I still have the drive. So I feel sorry for those who want me to retire, because they will have to see me for a while longer.”

Moreover, Djokovic’s retirement rumors have become the talk of the town. Many tennis bigwigs have given their views if Djokovic should retire after this season or not. One among them was an American star, John Isner.

John Isner makes a retirement prediction about Novak Djokovic

Despite Djokovic not having the best of seasons last year, he still managed to achieve his biggest goal of winning an Olympic gold medal. While the Serb may not have won a Grand Slam title in 2024, his Olympic journey proved that he can still deliver on the big stage. Thus, Isner feels that Djokovic should continue playing as long as he feels that he has the drive to succeed.

Talking about Djokovic’s retirement, Isner said, “I would like to see if Djokovic can win another Grand Slam. If he still has tricks up his sleeve, we’ll see if he can use them. He is absolutely motivated. I do not believe that Novak will retire from tennis this year. When he won the gold medal in Paris last summer, he said that he would not mind playing at the next one, in Los Angeles in 2028. He still wants to achieve amazing things and maybe play until he is 40. We all know that he takes a lot of care of his body.”

While the retirement rumors will be going around, Djokovic would look to shift his focus back to the court as the Australian Open kicks in. It’ll be interesting to see how he performs in the first major tournament of the season.