A WTA Tour star has described Novak Djokovic’s future as a “mystery” and admitted she has “many questions” about the tennis icon.
Djokovic, who celebrated his 39th birthday in May, is still competing at the highest level despite playing far fewer tournaments than his rivals.
The legendary Serb was a runner-up at the Australian Open and a semi-finalist at Wimbledon this year, while he made the last four at all four majors in 2025.
The former world No 1, who is currently ranked seventh, holds a 14-5 record this season, having played just five events so far.
Djokovic has been chasing a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title since he won the 2023 US Open, and he would become the oldest major singles champion in tennis history if he were to add to his trophy haul.
In an interview with Bolshe Tennis, Pavlyuchenkova gave her verdict on the topic of Djokovic’s retirement.
“Well, with Djokovic it’s a mystery. That’s just… it’s like, I don’t know, he’s not human,” said the French Open finalist and former world No 11.
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“Who would have thought that, to this day, he’d still be playing and reaching the semi-finals of a Grand Slam?
“It’s very hard to say. I think for him, a semi-final is… well, not a failure, but his goal is to win Slams, to win the big tournaments.
“So, the question is if he still has the motivation, what his goals are, what physical condition he is in. It’s unclear. And why does he continue? For me, there are many questions.”
In an exclusive interview with Tennis365, Mark Philippoussis marvelled at Djokovic’s longevity.
“It’s incredible (what Djokovic is doing). I mean, there’s professionalism, and then he takes it to another level,” said the two-time Grand Slam finalist.
“You’re talking about, like LeBron James is the same thing, and Tom Brady was the same as well, still playing the best [at an age] when guys have normally retired.
“As fans, and if you love tennis, we need to sit back and appreciate that and just enjoy watching him while we can.”
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