The Serbian’s comments after winning Olympic gold hints he could be set for a sensational retirement to bring the Big Four era to a close.
For years, Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal and Andy Murray dominated men’s singles tennis winning 69 Grand Slam titles between 2003-2023 with there being only five finals where one of them didn’t appear.
Additionally, they won six Olympic gold medals, eight Davis Cups, three Hopman Cups and defeated 4,189 opponents on their way to a total of 340 titles, with all of them occupying the world number one spot at some stage.
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Yet Murray and Federer have now called time and Nadal is about to formally do so. And at the age of 37, Djokovic might not long for it either after completing his career by winning gold at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
“It’s complete,” Djokovic said in France after stopping Carlos Alcaraz. “I completed all the achievements with this gold medal.”
He then later backed this up following his shock elimination at the 2024 US Open at the Arthur Ashe Stadium when he said he feels like he has exhausted himself when he was beaten by Alexei Popyrin in the third round.
“I tried my best, I didn’t have any physical issues,” Djokovic said on August 31. “I just felt out of gas, and you could see that.
“From the first match, I just didn’t find myself on this court. Life moves on. I’ll try to recalibrate and look forward to what’s next.”
Why might he retire?
Djokovic has now won all four Grand Slams on multiple occasions, has won the elusive Olympic gold and has seen his rivals around him step back from the pro scene in the face of the younger generation like Jannik Sinner and Alcaraz.
And almost 40, the Serbian isn’t getting any younger and knows he is on borrowed time in a high-intensity sport whilst he also admitted he has his family to focus on too after spending a lot of time away on the ATP Tour.
“For me, family life is very important,” Djokovic told media. “I want to be with my wife and children, to be a part of their daily routine.
“[It’s] something I couldn’t do for many years. I have to balance things out.”
