Novak Djokovic’s father, Srdjan, has admitted that he wants his son to call an end to his tennis career next year.
The Serbian’s 23 Grand Slam victories are the most for a male player in the history of the sport.
Only Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer come close to Djokovic, who has won the French and Australian Opens this year.
He could have won his 24th Grand Slam at Wimbledon, but rising star Carlos Alcaraz came out on top after five sets, leaving the Serbian so frustrated he broke his racket.
Now, at the age of 36, Djokovic is entering the twilight stages of what has been an illustrious career in tennis.
Even though he admitted he still has the ‘desire’ to carry on, his father Srdjan is hoping that he announces his retirement next year.
Speaking on a documentary titled ‘Novak Djokovic – Untold Stories’, he said: “As far as my wishes for him go, he has already fulfilled them all seven/eight years ago. The rest is this amazing bonus.
“Tennis is only one segment of his life, not his whole life. I expect him to be recognised for the things he will do after his career ends as well, after he leaves the tennis world, which I hope it will happen next year.
“And for Novak to slowly but surely… it’s not the end, but in a year-and-a-half let’s say. My wish as a father – I think for some time that he should have stopped working this extremely difficult job.
“It’s physically and mentally challenging and very demanding – with him being fully dedicated for 30 years, and not taking his foot off the gas, there is not much time for other things in life.”
Should Djokovic decide to call it quits, tennis would bid farewell to another legend after Federer’s retirement in 2022.
Nadal has also hinted that 2024 could be the year that he puts down his racket after an equally impressive career.
Djokovic is set to feature at the US Open when it commences in August, despite being banned from entering the country last year for not taking the Covid-19 vaccine.
Victory could spur him on to even further glory on the court next year, despite the wishes from his father.