{"id":2049790,"date":"2026-07-18T12:45:33","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T09:45:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2049790"},"modified":"2026-07-18T12:45:33","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T09:45:33","slug":"novak-djokovic-makes-candid-retirement-admission-after-wimbledon-loss-that-moment-is-closer-than-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2049790","title":{"rendered":"Novak Djokovic makes candid retirement admission after Wimbledon loss &#8211; &#8216;That moment is closer than ever&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"ps-article-content rounded-lg lg:mt-5 lg:border lg:border-card lg:bg-card lg:shadow-primary\">\n<header>\n<h1 class=\"py-4 text-xl font-normal text-title sm:text-2xl\">Novak Djokovic makes candid retirement admission after Wimbledon loss \u2013 \u2018That moment is closer than ever\u2019<\/h1>\n<div class=\"my-2 flex items-center justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/author\/oliver-paton\" class=\"text-sm font-normal !text-author\"><br \/>\n                            Oliver Paton                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <time class=\"ml-3 text-sm font-normal text-info md:ml-4\" datetime=\"18 Jul 2026 1:45 PM\" data-ps-date=\"18 Jul 2026 1:45 PM\" data-ps-datetime=\"1784378733\"><br \/>\n                            18 Jul 2026 1:45 PM                        <\/time>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"hidden justify-end space-x-4 text-xl sm:flex sm:!opacity-100\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 dark:hidden h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_light.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/novak-djokovic-makes-candid-retirement-admission-wimbledon-loss-moment-closer-than-ever\" class=\"!text-info hover:!text-brand\" aria-label=\"Share to facebook\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tennis365.com%2Ftennis-news%2Fnovak-djokovic-makes-candid-retirement-admission-wimbledon-loss-moment-closer-than-ever\" class=\"!text-info hover:!text-brand\" aria-label=\"Share to twitter\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tennis365.com%2Ftennis-news%2Fnovak-djokovic-makes-candid-retirement-admission-wimbledon-loss-moment-closer-than-ever\" class=\"!text-info hover:!text-brand\" aria-label=\"Share to linkedin\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <a class=\"!text-info hover:!text-brand\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/\/send\/?text=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tennis365.com%2Ftennis-news%2Fnovak-djokovic-makes-candid-retirement-admission-wimbledon-loss-moment-closer-than-ever\" aria-label=\"Share to whatsapp\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <a class=\"!text-info hover:!text-brand\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/share.flipboard.com\/bookmarklet\/popout?v=2&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tennis365.com%2Ftennis-news%2Fnovak-djokovic-makes-candid-retirement-admission-wimbledon-loss-moment-closer-than-ever\" aria-label=\"Share to flipboard\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/a>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"sm:hidden flex items-center space-x-5\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 dark:hidden h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_light.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <button id=\"t365-article-share-btn-hidden\" class=\"mr-2 hidden h-6 w-6 appearance-none border-none !text-share-icon outline-none hover:!text-share-icon-active sm:hidden\" data-title=\"Novak Djokovic makes candid retirement admission after Wimbledon loss \u2013 \u2018That moment is closer than ever\u2019\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5 border-b border-page\"><\/div>\n<section>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5\">\n<figure class=\"aspect-h-9 aspect-w-16 relative\">\n                                        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"742\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"w-full h-full object-cover object-center !my-0\" src=\"https:\/\/d2me2qg8dfiw8u.cloudfront.net\/content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Novak-Djokovic-applauds-the-crowd-1320x742.jpg\" alt=\"Pictured: Novak Djokovic applauds the crowd\">                <\/figure><figcaption class=\"flex items-center space-x-3 border-b border-mobile-caption px-3 lg:border-caption\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-1.5 break-words !text-xs !text-content\">\n                                Novak Djokovic applauds the crowd                            <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div class=\"ciam-article-t365\"><!-- Article Start --><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/novak-djokovic\">Novak Djokovic<\/a> believes he can still \u2018compete at the highest level\u2019, though the 24-time Grand Slam champion admits that retirement is now \u2018closer than ever\u2019 as he moves further into the twilight of his career.<\/p>\n<p>The Serb turned 39 in May but looked in impressive form during this year\u2019s Wimbledon.<\/p>\n<p>At SW19, he overcame third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in a stunning five-set battle which, at five hours and 15 minutes, was the longest quarter-final in tournament history.<\/p>\n<p>As a result, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/novak-djokovic\">Djokovic<\/a> reached his eighth consecutive Wimbledon semi-final and recorded his 107th singles victory at the grass-court Grand Slam, surpassing Roger Federer\u2019s mark of 105.<\/p>\n<p>However, despite his admirable run to the last four, he was comfortably outplayed by eventual champion Jannik Sinner, who defeated the former world No 1 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 without dropping serve.<\/p>\n<p>Following such a one-sided defeat to a player 15 years his junior, inevitable questions have once again emerged over when Djokovic may decide to hang up his racket.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Latest Tennis News<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-features\/iga-swiatek-problem-agnieszka-radwanska-exclusive-interview\">Agnieszka Radwanska tells Iga Swiatek \u2018the problem\u2019 she must solve to get back to her best<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/carlos-alcaraz-wrist-100-fitness-better-than-ever-rick-macci\">\u2018Carlos Alcaraz\u2019s wrist is 100% and his fitness is even better than before\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Want more from Tennis365? Add us as<span>\u00a0<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\">a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a><span>\u00a0<\/span>for tennis coverage you can trust.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI still feel that I can compete at the highest level; however, that moment [of retirement] is closer than ever,\u201d the Serb said during an interview with ESPN.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know if there is a perfect way to retire. Do I want to retire to the top? I will continue to enjoy my time on the court.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Djokovic is currently tied with Margaret Court on a record 24 Grand Slam singles titles.<\/p>\n<p>His most recent major triumph came at the 2023 US Open, where he defeated Daniil Medvedev. Since then, however, he has lost both of his Grand Slam finals appearances.<\/p>\n<p>At the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, he was beaten by Carlos Alcaraz 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(4), before suffering another defeat to the Spaniard at the 2026 Australian Open, losing 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5 and seeing his previously perfect 10-0 record in Melbourne finals come to an end.<\/p>\n<p>Shortly after his interview with ESPN, Djokovic appeared at Fanatics Fest alongside LeBron James.<\/p>\n<p>The NBA legend expanded on the topic of retirement, with Djokovic appearing to nod in agreement as James delivered his thoughts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn sports there are always conversations like: \u2018When will he retire? He has to do it. He\u2019s this age, he\u2019s that age\u2019,\u201d began James.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut why? Why? Why are we trying to force people into retirement when they are still performing at a high level? Why are we trying to force a narrative of the right time to retire?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we look at people like Bruce Springsteen and some of the greatest musicians, the Rolling Stones have been on tour for 50, 60 years! And no one says to them: \u2018Hey, don\u2019t come to our city with your tour\u2019.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we are still dedicating ourselves to the job, if we are still giving so much to sport, if we are not disrespecting the game and we are giving everything we have to sport and we are still making everyone earn money, why not?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy can\u2019t I play if I still love what I do? I\u2019m just trying to squeeze as much as I can from what I have left.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Djokovic is next expected to return to the ATP Tour at the Cincinnati Open, the Masters 1000 event scheduled to take place from August 13-23.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ NEXT:<span>\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/wta-rankings-race-to-riyadh-mirra-andreeva-no-1-iga-swiatek-12th\">WTA Rankings Race: Andreeva still No 1 as Muchova, Noskova soar &amp; Swiatek drops to 12th<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!-- Article End --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Novak Djokovic makes candid retirement admission after Wimbledon loss \u2013 \u2018That moment is closer than ever\u2019 Oliver Paton 18 Jul 2026 1:45 PM Novak Djokovic applauds the crowd Novak Djokovic believes he can still \u2018compete at the highest level\u2019, though the 24-time Grand Slam champion admits that retirement is now \u2018closer than ever\u2019 as he [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,249],"class_list":["post-2049790","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-tennis365-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2049790","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2049790"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2049790\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2049790"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2049790"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2049790"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}