Djokovic has no intention of retiring! Renowned coach says he will compete in the 2026-2027 seasons

On September 26, 2025, former world No.1 doubles player and renowned coachMark Knowlesdisclosed on the "Tennis Channel Inside-In" podcast that 38-year-old tennis icon Novak Djokovic "does not intend to retire" and plans to keep competing through the 2026 and 2027 seasons. This Serbian superstar continues to fight against "Father Time" and is passionately aiming for his 25th Grand Slam championship.

In May this year, Djokovic celebrated his 38th birthday by winning his 100th ATP singles title at the Geneva Open, continuing the highlights of his career. Although he reached the semifinals in all four Grand Slams this season — Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open — his overall performance showed some struggles: he failed to win a set in any of these semifinal matches, losing to Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open, Yannick Sinner at Wimbledon and the French Open, and retiring due to a hamstring injury against Alexander Zverev in the Australian Open semifinals.

These results led Djokovic to express a pessimistic view about his Grand Slam prospects after his early exit at the US Open earlier this month. He admitted that overcoming the challenge posed by the new generation stars Sinner and Alcaraz in best-of-five-set Grand Slam matches is extremely tough, and he feels more confident in best-of-three-set competitions.

However, Knowles’ revelation dispels speculation about Djokovic’s retirement. He stated that Djokovic is different from ordinary players and always finds motivation to keep competing. “As far as I know, he has absolutely no intention of ending his career and will participate in the 2026 and 2027 seasons.” According to Knowles, Djokovic is fighting against the unstoppable force of time, a spirit that commands respect. “We all want to see this greatest player in history continue playing, and he clearly still loves the challenge and believes in himself.”

Knowles also analyzed Djokovic’s future competition plans. He believes Djokovic has always been transparent about his schedule and is now focusing entirely on Grand Slam events, aiming directly for his 25th Grand Slam title. Besides his pursuit of titles, sponsorship factors also support Djokovic’s continued participation. “Novak is very fortunate, and so are we; every time we watch him play, it’s something to look forward to.”

At the same time, Knowles pointed out that Djokovic may not play many tournaments outside the Grand Slams in the future, and his form might not return to peak levels. “His ‘third gear’ is still better than most players’ best, but we probably won’t see him switch into ‘fifth’ or ‘sixth gear’ peak performance anymore.”

Nonetheless, Djokovic’s passion for tennis and dedication to challenges keep fans eager about his future performances. Whether this tennis legend can break through again in the battle against time and pursue his 25th Grand Slam will be one of the most watched stories in men’s tennis over the next two seasons.

[Look at me][Look at me][Give yourself a flower][Give yourself a flower]

#TennisNews#​#Djokovic#​