On January 17, 2026, Novak Djokovic shared his ongoing passion for tennis, likening the thrill of the sport to a “drug-like” adrenaline rush, and confirmed he has no immediate plans to retire. At 38, Djokovic is gearing up for his 21st Australian Open, where he remains a formidable competitor alongside defending champion Jannik Sinner and world number one Carlos Alcaraz. Melbourne Park, the site of his 10 title victories, continues to be his favorite battleground.
Although he has scaled back his tournament schedule in recent years, the Serbian tennis icon remains confident in his ability to compete at the highest level and is not ready to step away from the game. “I’m still living my dream, to be honest,” Djokovic remarked on the eve of the year’s first Grand Slam. “It’s passion and love for the game. It’s the interaction with people. It’s the energy that you feel when you walk out on the court.”
Djokovic described the adrenaline rush as “almost like a drug,” a feeling he believes is shared by many elite athletes across various sports. “It’s so addictive, you know, the feeling of competing,” he added.
With his long-time rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal having retired, Djokovic often faces questions about his own retirement plans. “I have been asked a lot about when the end date will come for me, but I don’t want to talk or think about it yet because I’m here, I’m competing,” he said.
Djokovic emphasized that he would address retirement when the time feels right, stating, “When that arrives and kind of becomes ripe in my head, I’ll share it with you, and then we can all discuss the farewell tour.” For now, he remains focused on maintaining his position as the world number four and competing at the highest level, dismissing the need to engage in retirement discussions.