Jessica Pegula’s coach shares what he’s heard about Novak Djokovic’s plans to retire from tennis

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Edging closer to 40, Novak Djokovic may not have much time left at the top of the ATP Tour.

The 38-year-old Serbian star defied all logic in 2025, reaching four Grand Slam semifinals.

He was, however, unable to win a set in any of them, coming up short against his younger rivals, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, and Jannik Sinner.

World number four Djokovic has now gone two years without winning a major, as he appears to be ‘stuck’ on 24.

Despite clearly still being one of the best players on the ATP Tour, some have begun to question whether it is time for Djokovic to retire from tennis.

Putting those questions to bed, Jessica Pegula’s coach, Mark Knowles, has shared what he has heard about Djokovic’s retirement plans.

Mark Knowles has heard Novak Djokovic will play tennis in 2026 and 2027

Appearing as a guest on the ‘Inside-In Tennis Podcast’, Knowles had this to say about Djokovic’s future.

“You know what, Novak [Djokovic] is hard to speculate on. I don’t think any mere mortal could find motivation to still play, but he does,” said Knowles.

“Thankfully for us, we get to see him play. We want to see the all-time greats play forever. He is testing Father Time, which we all love. Nobody has defeated it ever. He is coming close. He is in a battle with it.

“From what I have heard, Novak is going to play in 2026 and 2027.

“From what I’m hearing, there are no thoughts of him shutting things down. So he obviously loves the challenge and still believes in himself.”

Knowles did, however, claim that Djokovic remains focused on winning a 25th Grand Slam, and that fans shouldn’t expect ‘too much’ from him elsewhere.

“I think Novak has been pretty transparent with his schedule. He is severely focused on the majors and trying to get number 25,” he said.

“Obviously, I think it’s a sponsorship element which I think is great. Novak is fortunate, and we’re fortunate. Any time we watch Novak play, we want to watch him play.

“I would not expect too much. His third gear is still better than most. But I don’t think we are going to see him shift into fifth or sixth gear.”

In a surprising move, Djokovic will return to tennis at the Shanghai Masters next week, where he finished as runner-up to Sinner 12 months ago.

The Serb has struggled against Alcaraz and Sinner recently, although Knowles believes those defeats will have motivated him.

“I’m sure he likes it when all the experts say he can’t beat Alcaraz and Sinner any more in a big match, three out of five, I’m sure he wants to continue to challenge himself,” he said.

“That is why he is arguably the greatest player of all time. He has achieved and won everything, and the sport is better for it.”

Djokovic has indeed won everything in tennis, but that’s not to say there aren’t still records out there for him to collect, especially if he plans on playing for another two years…

What records can Novak Djokovic break in 2026 and 2027?

Most Grand Slam appearances

Switzerland’s Roger Federer and Spain’s Feliciano Lopez currently share the record for the most Grand Slam appearances, with 81.

Currently sitting on 80, Djokovic can move level with the pair should he play at the Australian Open, but will take the record for himself if he makes the trip to Paris for the French Open in May.

Most Wimbledon/US Open titles

Federer also holds the record for the most Wimbledon (8) and US Open (5) titles, although two other men, Jimmy Connors and Pete Sampras, share the record at Flushing Meadows.

With seven and four titles respectively, wins in both 2026 and 2027 could see Djokovic take the records before he retires from tennis.

Most Grand Slam wins at every tournament

Djokovic currently sits second in the list of match wins at all four Grand Slam tournaments.

The 38-year-old has the chance to take the record at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and US Open next year, but would need deep runs at Roland Garros in 2026 and 2027 to take the record away from Rafael Nadal.

Most ATP titles

American legend Connors holds the record for the most ATP title wins with 109, nine more than Djokovic, who won his 100th in Geneva earlier this year.

It will be a tough ask for Djokovic to surpass Connors, especially with his reduced schedule, but with at least two years still to play, you wouldn’t want to bet against him.

Only time will tell if Djokovic can take any of the above records over the next two years, although it will definitely be worth tuning in for.