Tennis icon Boris Becker has revealed his thoughts on Novak Djokovic’s retirement plans, disclosing that he’s heard the 24-time Grand Slam champion aims to compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
At 38, Djokovic sits atop the Open Era record books with his unmatched collection of singles Grand Slam victories. He surpassed Serena Williams’ tally after claiming the 2023 US Open crown at Flushing Meadows in New York.
Yet he hasn’t captured a major championship since that triumph, with his most recent Grand Slam final appearance coming at Wimbledon in 2024.
The men’s tour has subsequently fallen under the dominance of Italy’s Jannik Sinner and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, who have claimed four major titles apiece. Djokovic remains the final men’s singles champion beyond Sinner and Alcaraz to secure a Grand Slam victory.
The Serbian legend did achieve a monumental triumph over his younger competitors during the summer of 2024, however. He at last captured Olympic gold, overcoming Alcaraz in the championship match in Paris.
Tennis great Becker, who served as Djokovic’s coach for three seasons, revealed he’s been told the player intends to defend his Olympic crown in Los Angeles come 2028.
“Look, I think he’s important for tennis today. He leads by example and shows the young players the amount of dedication you need to come to the top and then stay on top,” Becker said to The Guardian. “He’s still chasing his 25th grand slam and reached all four major semifinals this year and won two tournaments.
“Who are we to challenge Novak when to stop? I heard the other day that he wants to play at the Olympics in LA 2028. Let him. We need him. Whoever was playing against Novak Djokovic lost a lot of money for the last 20 years. So I’d never bet against Novak.”
Djokovic, who recently clinched his 101st ATP Title in Athens, hinted that representing Serbia in the 2028 Olympics could be his swan song. “Since I’ve achieved absolutely all possible goals, I said about the 2028 Olympics because I wanted to play for so many more years,” Djokovic shared. “So maybe ending up at the Olympic Games with the Serbian flag, that would be nice.”
Whether Djokovic will bag a 25th singles Slam before the Olympics remains uncertain. He has had a tough time in tournaments, especially against Sinner and Alcaraz, when matches can extend to five sets.
He acknowledged this after losing a US Open semifinal match to Alcaraz in September. “I mean, I’m happy with my level of tennis, but you know, it’s just the physicality of it, you know,” Djokovic admitted.
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“As I said after the quarterfinals, the press conference when I spoke to you guys, I said, you know, I’m going to do my very best to get my body in shape to sustain that level and that rhythm for as many hours as it’s needed, but, you know, it wasn’t enough.
“That’s something I, unfortunately at this point in time in my career, can’t control. I can do only as much as I can do. Yeah, it will be very difficult for me in the future to overcome the hurdle of Sinner, Alcaraz, in the best-of-five on the Grand Slams. I think I have a better chance best-of-three, but best-of-five, it’s tough.”