Novak Djokovic sets retirement date—but could exit sooner: here's what we know

The 24-time Grand Slam tennis GOAT Novak Djokovic's retirement buzz is sending his fans into a frenzy.

A Serbian journalist, Saša Ozmo, close to Novak Djokovic, has revealed that the tennis star is likely to have a retirement tour.

There are speculations that Djokovic may hang up his boots in 2026, after failing to win a Grand Slam in two years.

Ozmo, who works for Sport Klub, said in an interview with Express Sport, "Knowing Novak, he’ll do his best to have a farewell tour, to maybe go to some of the places he didn’t visit as a player that much, and to go to some of the places that were his favorite tournaments."

“I don’t expect it to be a full year, let’s say a retirement year, like [NBA great] Kobe Bryant had, for example, but a few tournaments; I don’t expect it to be abrupt,” added Ozmo.

The 38-year-old Djokovic eyes the 2028 LA at age 41, but insiders like Ozmo see that goal as optimistic and say his plans could change if his body doesn’t hold up.

Just for background, the same was the case with Rafael Nadal, who was forced to retire in October 2024 due to ongoing physical issues.

Djokovic recently stated that he intends to keep playing until the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

But according to Ozmo, who is seen as a close Djokovic camp insider, he said the opposite.

“I mean, it’s crazy, but he’s been known to want and succeed in doing crazy things.

So, playing until LA 2028 is a huge goal, considering he has been very injury-prone over the last couple of years,” added Ozmo.

Though, the Serbian tennis legend’s last Grand Slam victory came at the 2023 US Open, followed by a final at Wimbledon 2024.

Last year, he reached every major semi-final, which shows he’s still a serious contender for Slam number 25.