Novak Djokovic retirement: Ex-Brit No. 1 lays out why Serb can still win a Grand Slam over Carlos Alcaraz & Jannik Sinner

Novak Djokovic still has some unfinished business left on the tour, and also has the potential to beat the tour's top dogs, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, believes former British No. 1 Greg Rusedski. There's no denying that the Serb is in the twilight of his career. However, he's not entertaining any thoughts of retirement as of now.

Djokovic made the semifinals of all four Majors in 2025, and finished the season ranked No. 4. That's mighty impressive for a 38-year-old. Rusedski spoke to Tennis365 on the eve of the launch of his podcast, and discussed Djokovic's future in the game.

Rusedski opined that as long as players continue to enjoy the sport, they can continue playing. The same applies to Djokovic, and he's still among the tour's elite players.

"You know it’s time to retire when you are not enjoying it any more. He is still the third best player in the world, even though the rankings don’t say so," Rusedski said.

Ruseski wasn't too optimistic of Djokovic's chances of beating Alcaraz and Sinner back-to-back in best-of-five sets at a Major. Nevertheless, he believed that his best shot to win the elusive 25th Major would be at Wimbledon. He also felt that the Australian Open 2025 was a missed opportunity for the Serb, having retired in the semifinals after beating Alcaraz in the previous round.

"Can he beat Alcaraz and Sinner in three out of five sets back to back? Possibly not. Maybe at Wimbledon, but if he is still enjoying the challenge, why not try and stay out there, Rusedski said.

"The biggest disappointment for Novak last year was when he beat Alcaraz at the Australian Open and then he had to pull out of the semi-final against (Alexander) Zverev with an injury. If he gets into the final in a one off match against Sinner, anything can happen," he concluded.

With his age and the dominance of Alcaraz and Sinner, many have pestered Djokovic about his potential retirement. He made it clear that he will set the terms of his farewell, and will not be dictated by the whims and fancies of others.

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Novak Djokovic recently shut down any talk of retirement during his appearance at the Hellenic Championship

Novak Djokovic at the Hellenic Championship 2025. (Photo: Getty)

The Hellenic Championship 2025 in Athens, Greece, marked Novak Djokovic's final tournament of the season. He went on to win the title, his second of the season and the 101st of his career. During one of his press conferences, the subject of his retirement came up, to which he issued a blunt response.

"Yes, I’ve thought about it more than once, that’s for sure. But I refuse to talk about it. I simply want to enjoy moments like today on the court. Like Stan Wawrinka, I say: ‘Leave me alone. Let me play and have fun.’ There is no countdown. Of course, the idea has crossed my mind, but I play at my own pace, when I want to, not when others think I should stop," Djokovic said.

Djokovic finished yet another season in the top 10, and also notched up his 16th finish within the top four. He's more than capable of giving the young guns a run for their money, so the idea of retirement seems redundant at this point.