"Honestly, I don’t understand why he wants to play in the next ones" - Djokovic's 2028 Olympics dream under scrutiny from former world number three

38-year-old Novak Djokovic is still going strong in the sport. He has indicated that retirement is not on the horizon as he targets to defend his Olympic Games success in LA 2028. However, this decision has been questioned by former world number three Nadia Petrova.

The Serbian has started to experience some setbacks throughout the 2025 campaign, having to retire from more matches while tactically skipping some big tournaments to keep him fresh for the Grand Slam events, as he searches for an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title.

While he was competitive in these major competitions last year, he was not match for Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner, who swiped up all the titles. As for Djokovic, he reached four semi-finals in what is a disappointing set of results from the tennis great as such are his high expectations.

He will continue to achieve his dream in the upcoming tournaments, with the next one being the Australian Open. Djokovic has not stepped onto the court since the Hellenic Championship in November. After winning the title, he pulled out of the ATP Finals due to injury, preserving his body for the start of 2026. This has been something that he has excelled in the past, one of the reasons why he is still competing at such a high level at the age he is at. It also gives him hope that he can continue until the next Olympics. Ahead of the Paris Olympics in 2024, Djokovic was missing the coveted gold medal to complete his collection of honours. He produced the goods in the final, defeating a heartbroken Alcaraz to stand top of the podium.

Whilst it looks like a realistic target to him, Petrova does not see this vision or why he would be persevering to this date. “Those Games are still far away. He already won the gold in the previous ones, and honestly, I don’t understand why he wants to play in the next ones as well," the Russian told Šampionat.

“He has played great games this year, but physically, he has been behind Alcaraz and Sinner. And every year that passes will be more difficult for him. It would be fantastic if he won his 25th Grand Slam and closed his career in a phenomenal way. He loves tennis and only he knows how long he can keep playing.”

If Djokovic is going to continue to LA 2028, that would give him up to 11 Grand Slams to lift another major title. However, there is a very high chance that he will need to get the better of either at least one of Alcaraz or Sinner, or possibly both. His last victory over one of the big two came back in the 2025 Australian Open where he produced a scintillating performance to dump out the Spaniard in four sets.

If he is not the one to challenge the top two on a regular basis, Petrova listed off a few names which could. “I really like how Ben Shelton plays," she stated. “He entered the top ten this year and I hope he continues to improve. I wouldn’t rule out De Minaur either; he’s a great player and could reach a great final. There is Bublik, who, if he feels like it, can beat anyone. And, of course, Daniil Medvedev. He already won a Grand Slam and reached a final. He has a new coach and can undoubtedly give much more.”

The major in Melbourne has been a prolific hunting ground for the 24-time Grand Slam champion. He has won more titles than anyone, currently sitting on 10. A phenomenal 11th would cement his name even further among the tennis greats. The event will take place from January 18 - February 1.