Former Russian player believes Novak Djokovic will sooner or later have to come to terms with retirement

Novak Djokovic has not won tour-level title since winning the 2023 ATP Finals in Turin after beating Jannik Sinner.

Former Russian player believes Novak Djokovic will sooner or later have to come to terms with retirement

Novak Djokovic (Image via ATP/X)

Novak Djokovic will turn 38 this May and has over a decade of experience playing professional tennis. The World No.7 has established himself as one of the greatest players to ever grace the court. However, he has struggled with form since the 2024 season and has surely become a concern. Former World No.20 Dmitry Tursunov believes he will soon retire.

Djokovic is yet to win a tour-level title since winning the 2023 ATP Finals title in Turin. The 37-year-old has since then got to only three finals, including the Paris Olympics final against Carlos Alcaraz. Apart from winning the gold medal in Paris, he has failed to win a title and has not loved the heights he did in 2023.

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So far, he has faced a mixed 2025 season, beating Alcaraz in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open. Then, he was forced to retire due to an injury in his semifinal tie against Alexander Zverev. Returning from injury, Djokovic faced Matteo Berrettini at the Qatar Open but lost to the Italian in straight sets.

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Djokovic struggles have become a cause of concerns in recent months. That has led Former World No.20 Dmitry Tursunov to warn that the end of his career could be coming sooner rather than later for the former World No.1.

His own body is now his greatest opponent. No matter how he plans to cheat time, ‘tennis death’ will await him. Of course, he still has the motivation to play at the highest level, but in tennis you lose the feeling of immortality much faster than in other sports. Previous achievements are quickly forgotten.

Dmitry Tursunov said via Sportklub

Late last year, Djokovic made Andy Murray his new coach ahead of the Australian Open. The duo continued with their partnership as it is believed that the alliance will help renew his motivation to win titles again.

Dmitry Tursunov believes this player can easily beat Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic is currently in Indian Wells for the first ATP 1000 Masters of the year. The World No.7 has won the title five times in his career most recently in 2016. He is aiming to win his 100th career title there, which will perhaps cement his place as the greatest player of all time in tennis.

Novak Djokovic Indian Wells 2025
Novak Djokovic (via X)

The Serbian is among the top favorites to win the Indian Wells title. However, Dmitry Tursunov doesn’t believe so. The former Russian player said during the aforementioned interview that Carlos Alcaraz can easily defeat Djokovic.

Djokovic is in a very difficult situation; his chances are slim if he faces Carlos Alcaraz.

Dmitry Tursunov said

Djokovic will face Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round of the Indian Wells Masters. The Dutch star led Nick Kyrgios in their first-round tie before the Australian was forced to emotionally retire because of a wrist injury.