"I don't want to make Novak Djokovic angry" - Father Srdjan reveals how Serb ignored his request to retire from tennis

Novak Djokovic has achieved a lot in tennis and therefore his father once suggested he should consider stopping, but the former dismissed that suggestion. Djokovic is still competing in tennis. Does he need to? It's an interesting question, but if the metric is achievements, then he doesn't really need to.

Sure, there are records that he hasn't broken yet, and some that are within his grasp, but by now, he's arguably the most successful tennis player to have ever lived and played, so there isn't much need for him to play.

There is simply nothing else left to prove because he's proven everything he needed to. His father, Srdjan Djokovic, has been a strong support for much of his life, but in more recent times, he's concluded that his son should hang his boots and focus on other things. He confirmed giving that suggestion to his son, in an interview with Danas.rs and also confirmed that Novak dismissed that suggestion.

"I told him last year not to play tennis anymore, and he tells me: 'Dad, let me do what I know best and love'. Whatever he does in the rest of his career, he will be the best in the world. Enjoy Novak, I don't know how much longer he will play, I don't want to talk and make him angry with me. He will probably win something else by the end of his career," Srdjan Djokovic told Danas.rs during the interview.

This difference in opinion isn't anything new, as Srdjan mentioned. He and his son think differently about this final chapter of Novak's career, but he has left the decision to his son because the decision is ultimately Novak's.

Novak Djokovic in 2025

ATP Qatar ExxonMobil Open Round Of 32 - Source: Getty

This year has been rather interesting for Djokovic so far. He only competed at three events (including Brisbane International), and it's pretty hard to extrapolate anything from those. The Australian Open was a pretty good showing as he was cruising past opponents, beating even Carlos Alcaraz in the quarters.

He wasn't able to overcome Alexander Zverev because he was battling a leg injury that he picked up in the match against Alcaraz. The injury proved rather minor, so he was able to return to Doha a few weeks later.

His run in Doha was a short one as he was beaten by Matteo Berrettini in straight sets in the Round of 32. The loss wasn't the issue because Djokovic played fine, but it was a loss nonetheless, and those have been rather frequent for Djokovic lately. Indian Wells will be his next stop and will give a more clear picture of where he stands and how competitive he is.