Rumors about Djokovic’s retirement are swirling, and Tim Henman has offered him targeted advice.

Recently, retirement rumors surrounding Djokovic have sparked widespread discussion. Former British No.1 Tim Henman publicly dismissed calls for the Serbian legend to end his career and provided him with advice. In an interview with Tennis365, Henman clearly stated that Djokovic has every right to decide how long he wants to compete on the court.

Djokovic has previously declared his ultimate tennis goal—to win his 25th Grand Slam title. Achieving this would place him above Margaret Court in the all-time Grand Slam winners list, making him the undisputed leader. The retirement rumors were triggered after he lost to Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open and admitted that in best-of-five matches, it might be difficult to overcome Alcaraz and another strong rival, Jannik Sinner.

Regarding the retirement talks, Henman shared his perspective. He believes retirement should not be brought up to Djokovic proactively, as only the player himself can decide when to end his career. Henman also objectively assessed Djokovic’s performance this year: “He reached the semifinals in four Grand Slams this year, which is a remarkable achievement. But after playing five matches to get to the semis, when facing these young players at their peak, he often struggles to find a way to win.”

In Henman’s view, great players should have the autonomy to decide the length of their careers: “For these great players, I’ve always thought they should play as long as they want. They have the right to do so. If they enjoy competing, then they should continue. It’s the best job in the world, and there’s plenty of life after retirement.”

He also expressed great anticipation to see how Djokovic prepares for the 2026 season, including his schedule and form. Henman shared his own retirement experience: “Everyone’s career path is different. I can only recall why I retired: I was about to play the US Open, followed by the Davis Cup at home. I decided to retire within 24 hours and then spent eight weeks finishing my career with the Wimbledon and Davis Cup events.”

Facing the surge of retirement rumors, Djokovic himself gave a clear response. At the “Clash of the Kings” exhibition in Riyadh this week, after losing to Sinner, he confronted the retirement topic during the “Joy Forum” and firmly stated he has no plans to quit soon. He said maintaining a long career is one of his main motivations:

“I want to see how far I can go. Looking across global sports, LeBron James is still performing at a high level, Cristiano Ronaldo is still competing, and Tom Brady played until he was 40. I want to keep going.”

Beyond his personal competitive goals, Djokovic is also excited about the future changes in tennis. He revealed:

“I also want to continue my career and witness the upcoming transformations in this sport firsthand. I’m extremely excited about this. There are some things I can’t discuss publicly yet, but I feel that in the next few years, tennis will and can undergo change. I want to be part of this transformation—not just participating, but still competing as the sport is revitalized and lays the foundation for the coming decades.”

When directly asked about retirement, Djokovic gave a firm answer: “Retirement won’t happen. Sorry to disappoint those people, but it’s just not going to happen.”

Key points of this article:

1. Background: After losing to Alcaraz at the US Open, Djokovic admitted it might be tough to beat young rivals like Alcaraz and Sinner, sparking retirement rumors.

2. Henman’s attitude and advice: He dismissed calls for Djokovic to retire, insisting the player has the right to decide his career length and should continue as long as he enjoys playing. The public should not overly mention retirement.

3. Henman’s evaluation and experience: He acknowledged Djokovic’s achievement of reaching four Grand Slam semifinals this year and noted his difficulties against young top players. Henman shared his own experience of deciding to retire within 24 hours and completing his final matches, illustrating that every career path is unique.

4. Djokovic’s response: He clearly stated he has no intention to retire soon, motivated by the desire for a long career, inspired by sports icons like LeBron James and Ronaldo. He looks forward to tennis’s future evolution and hopes to be involved while continuing to compete.

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