Given that Novak Djokovic turned 39 earlier this year, ideas about his retirement from tennis are more than understandable.
But the 24-time Grand Slam champion continues to defy logic time and time again, and fortunately there is no sign of retirement in sight.
His ability at this stage of his glittering career has definitely been called into question by many, but Djokovic has responded positively more often than not.
The ATP veteran’s latest remarkable efforts came in the longest-ever Wimbledon quarter-final, where he won a five-set thriller versus Felix Auger-Aliassime in over five hours.
The Wimbledon epic proved that he shouldn’t be retiring from tennis any time soon, but so have his most recent Grand Slam runs in general.
Jannik Sinner vs Novak Djokovic – Who reaches the Wimbledon final?
The best in the world takes on the G.O.A.T.
Novak Djokovic’s recent Grand Slam results show he shouldn’t retire any time soon
Going back to the 2025 season, Djokovic has been really enjoying his time on the big stage, having clearly prioritised the Grand Slams over all else.
And it is both acceptable and obvious why he has chosen that path, with the Serbian chasing a record 25th major title.
He fell short in that regard last year, but only just, having exceeded expectations by reaching the semifinals at all four Grand Slams.
For good measure, Djokovic went one step further at this year’s Australian Open, knocking out Jannik Sinner en route to the final.
More than understandably, he has also suffered disappointment along the way, but only once, falling in the third round of the recent French Open.
And he has since bounced back in truly stunning fashion, having just clinched yet another Grand Slam semifinal spot.
It remains to be seen if he can emulate his efforts from Melbourne in London, but it would indeed be very foolish to rule that out right now, even if he is taking on Sinner.
At least six semifinals from his last seven major appearances is phenomenal in itself, notwithstanding his age and recent injury issues.
| 2025 | 2026 | |
| Australian Open | Semi-final | Final |
| French Open | Semi-final | Third round |
| Wimbledon | Semi-final | Semi-final* |
| US Open | Semi-final | – |
Novak Djokovic using all of his experience to maintain Grand Slam heroics
Experience is unquestionably playing a key role in his superb efforts of late, importantly on and off the court.
Djokovic continues to take tremendous care of his body and indeed his mind, and has been picking and choosing his tournaments wisely.
He entered Wimbledon with just 13 matches played across four tournaments in 2026, which demonstrates both his wisdom and indeed his ability to compete against the top players despite a lack of time on the court.
At the same time, he has still managed to find time to win tournaments, triumphing in Geneva and Athens last year to take his ATP title tally over the century mark.
Very fittingly, Djokovic’s latest Wimbledon win capped off a simply stunning day for veteran athletes, with football superstar Lionel Messi also shining for Argentina.
Born just one month after his tennis counterpart and holding his long-term admiration, Messi became the leading goalscorer at the World Cup in the USA shortly before Djokovic’s heroics in London.
And while the Argentine may call it quits very soon, the tennis superstar has shown no inclination to hang up his racket, which is very welcome news for the entire sport.
