Retirement might be closer than expected for Novak Djokovic.

The 24-time Grand Slam winner went on an impressive run to make it to the semi-finals of the Australian Open. But after losing a first set tiebreak against Alexander Zverev, Djokovic made the call to retire mid-match.

It came as a shock to fans in the stadium, leading to many of them booing the Serb as he exited the court, a scene that Djokovic fans have become all too familiar with over the years.

Despite all he’s given to the sport, Djokovic has never quite been able to escape accusations of “faking” injuries that have plagued him his entire career — and it certainly isn’t going to change now at 37 years of age.

The truth is that the potential of this happening was always on the table heading into the semi-final. After all, the Serb has been struggling with injuries for a while now, pulling out of both the 2024 French Open and ATP Finals due to injury last year.

During his presser after his AO semi-final exit, Djokovic set the record straight:

• Confirmed he’s struggling with an upper-leg muscle tear that’s more painful than 2 years ago
• The injury was sustained during his epic quarter-final match against Alvarez just a few days before
• “I want to keep going.” — but no guarantee he will return for next year’s #AusOpen

If Djokovic wanted to avoid adding fuel to the fire of a potential retirement, this definitely wasn’t the way to do it. But based on his age, recent injuries, and persistent retirement hints, it’s starting to feel like 2025 could turn out to be Novak’s last full season on the court.

Will Djokovic Retire in 2025?

According to the leading betting tipsters on the BettingTools website, Novak Djokovic is unlikely to retire in 2025. Instead, his retirement will probably be in 2026 or 2027. Djokovic will remain focused on winning his elusive 25th Grand Slam for now, having gone 2024 without winning any major title at all.

What is clear to see with Djokovic, though, is that his career is now in decline and the curtain will soon be closed forever on the ‘Big Four’ era.

It started with Andy Murray, who was never the same post-2016 due to injuries. Then it was Roger Federer, with the Swiss legend’s persistent knee problem forcing him into retirement. And then (most recently) there was Rafael Nadal, whose body gave up and made it impossible for him to continue competing at the highest level.

The common thread amongst all of them is that years of playing elite-level tennis finally broke them down. As we see all too often, it typically starts just before the mid-30s and then eventually forces a retirement relatively soon after, even if you’re able to somehow keep going for a few more years. But once the decline has officially started, there’s no stopping it.

Djokovic himself will be more aware of this than anyone. Let’s not forget that 2024 was the first year since 2017 that he won zero slams, which is the greatest indicator of all that father time is coming. Ironically, Novak’s actual father is said to be pushing his son to retire, with Novak recently confirming this:

“I don’t know if he’s going to be happy with me saying this, but my dad has been trying to retire me for a while now. He understands why i keep going, but he’s like: ‘What else do you want to do’”

When you’re no longer consistently winning slams, keep picking up injuries that take twice as long to recover from, and your own family is pushing you to call it a day, it’s only a matter of time before retirement actually happens.

But what’s fascinating about Novak Djokovic is that he’s only just beaten Carlos Alcaraz, one of the world’s best young players. And even fans of tennis who don’t particularly like Djokovic will have to admit that he’s one of the most gritty and resilient players of all time, which is why he’s still playing at the top level. So if anyone is going to silence the critics and win at least one more Grand Slam before hanging it up, it’s Novak.

No Decision Made on Andy Murray Coaching Partnership

After Andy Murray retired from tennis, it came as a surprise to everyone when it was announced he was taking a surprise coaching role in Djokovic’s team. The two have always had a great relationship, though, so it did make sense (despite Murray’s obvious lack of experience when it comes to the coaching side of the game). But following Djokovic’s frustrating exit from the 2025 Australian Open, there’s no guarantee that this new coaching partnership will continue:

“I don’t know. We both were disappointed with what just happened, so we didn’t talk about future steps,” the 10-time Australian Winner said. “I think we both need to cool off a bit and then we’ll have a chat.”

The partnership between the two tennis icons was originally supposed to only be for the Australian Open, with the general belief being that it would continue if the tournament was a success. What’s clear is that Murray is on an unspoken trial with Novak’s camp and will only be kept on if it’s to the genuine benefit of the Serb potentially winning his 25th Grand Slam title.

What’s Next for Djokovic?

It’s not known for certain how long Djokovic’s injury will last. Despite this, there’s no doubt he will be back soon, likely within the next month or two. As long as Novak can stay injury-free, he will definitely push for the three remaining Grand Slams this year: the French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. Whether Andy Murray will be part of this remains to be seen. And regarding a potential return to the Australian Open next year, Djokovic claims he’ll be back as long as he can stay “fit, healthy, and motivated”. At least for now, Djokovic fans can breathe a sigh of relief.