Novak Djokovic finally won the Olympic gold in Paris, filling the only hole in his historic career. At 37 years old, this begs the question: how much longer will Djokovic play?

Having collected 24 Grand Slams, 40 masters, and 7 Nitto ATP finals, Djokovic has won practically every possible tournament and done it more times than anyone else in history. Djokovic won the elusive Olympic gold medal in his fifth appearance at the Games, which means, according to Saint Paul’s tennis head coach Brother Ken Boesch, F.S.C., “he should go ahead and retire.”

Djokovic (37) is currently the oldest player in the men’s top 100. Brother Ken, who was nationally recognized for his coaching, expressed that Djokovic must factor in his family, his mental health, and especially his physical condition before continuing his career.

For the past 20 years, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer have dominated the sport of tennis. Both Federer and Nadal won their last tournaments at age 36. While Nadal is not yet retired, he has struggled with injuries and withdrawn from several tournaments. 

At the 2024 French Open, Djokovic tore his meniscus. He withdrew from the tournament in the quarter-final. Many feared his career could be in decline. 

After undergoing surgery, Djokovic competed at Wimbledon less than a month later and made it to the final before losing to Carlos Alcaraz, the world’s top-ranked player. Djokovic was clearly still playing at a world-class level. 

Despite his performance at Wimbledon, many were still concerned his injury could affect Djokovic’s play in the Olympics. He breezed through the first rounds, reaching the finals without losing a single set. In the final, he faced a rematch against 21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, the substantial favorite to win. After a nearly three-hour match, Djokovic emerged victorious and finally won Olympic gold.

Immediately, fans began speculating about Djokovic’s retirement. In his own words, winning gold is “the greatest achievement and greatest highlight of my career overall.” Many believed he had accomplished his last goal in tennis and had no other reason to compete anymore.

Fortunately for tennis fans and unfortunately for professional players, Djokovic has no intention of retiring. In fact, at Serbia’s medallists’ celebration, he expressed his desire “to make it to Los Angeles” and compete in a sixth Olympic Games. Los Angeles is hosting the Summer Olympics in 2028.

Djokovic has stated before that he wants to play for as long as he can compete at a high level. He also still has “the competitive spirit. I still want to make more history. I still hope to inspire young people to watch tennis and play tennis.” 

In a “60 Minutes” interview, Djokovic shared that his two kids are his greatest motivation, and they inspire him to continue to compete at the highest level. Djokovic wants them to see their father working hard and succeeding; however, being away from his family for weeks at a time for a tournament is “hurting me more and more,” he shared in an interview with professional player Nick Kyrgios.

Injuries and age are two of the biggest causes of retirement among professional tennis players. According to a 2017 study, the average retirement age of the top 100 men’s tennis players is around 28. Players lucky enough to have longer careers tend to be affected by injuries shortly after. 

Djokovic’s LeBron James and Tom Brady-like longevity is mainly due to his remarkably injury-free career. Since his Grand Slam debut in 2005, Djokovic has only missed one Slam because of an injury. 

The rarity of Djokovic’s injuries adds to the concern with which they are generally regarded in a player’s 30s. While Djokovic appears to have fully recovered from his injury at the French Open, an injury at his age could permanently affect his health and confidence on the court. In other words, one injury could be all it takes to call it a career.

For this reason, recovery time is a key part of Djokovic’s off-court strategy, especially after an injury; however, it is not a luxury he has been allowed. Djokovic underwent knee surgery June 5, 2024. His first match at Wimbledon was less than a month later, on July 2. The Olympics began two weeks after Wimbledon, and less than four weeks after that, the US Open began.

Djokovic entered the US Open as the defending champion. He battled through to the third round, where he had a disappointingly early loss to Alexei Popyrin. 

The US Open was the last Grand Slam tournament of the year. With Djokovic not winning any of the four Slams, 2024 marks only the second time since 2010 that he hasn’t won at least one. It is also the first year since 2002 that neither Federer, Nadal, nor Djokovic won a single major.

Saint Paul’s senior and varsity tennis player Andrew Kraus believes “there is very little chance Djokovic wins another slam.” Only time will tell. 

Ultimately, while Novak Djokovic is still one of the best players on tour, he is undoubtedly reaching the end of his career. He could very well have several more years on tour, but his days of being the favorite of any tournament he enters are most likely behind him.

As Brother Ken puts it, “Players come and go. They play for several years, and then they move on; it’s the way of life.”