Despite being one of the contenders, Novak Djokovic looked helpless, clueless, and tired when playing against Jannik Sinner in yesterday’s semi-final. Even the Serb, who won the tournament seven times and had missed no grass court final in the last eight years, admitted that he now does not have the strength to play someone as young and ruthless as Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz. “These guys are fit, young, sharp, & I feel like I’m going into the match with tank half empty…” Novak Djokovic admitted after losing to Sinner in just an hour and 55 minutes.

After such a humbling defeat, while many doubted whether Djokovic would return to Centre Court or not, the 7-time winner made it pretty clear that he will not give up on his eighth Wimbledon title just yet. “Hopefully it’s not my last match on the Centre Court,” Djokovic said. “I’m not planning to finish my Wimbledon career today. So I’m planning to come back definitely at least one more time, play on the Centre Court, for sure.”

At 38, Djokovic has started to speak more candidly about time, how little of it may be left in his competitive career, and how fast it seems to be moving. It brings to mind how his father, Srdjan Djokovic, who has been wanting his son to retire for a while now, had already let slip the Serbian star’s retirement plans a year back.

According to the Serbian’s father, the family has already begun having retirement conversations. “When Novak finishes his tennis career, he will live in his city, Belgrade, his country, Serbia,” Srdjan said in an interview last year, as per the report of Express.co.uk. “I think there is no greater satisfaction, pride, and success than your child spreading the glory of his people and his country all over the world.”

In fact, the 24-time Grand Slam champ has an enviable global real estate footprint. In 2017, Djokovic shelled out £7.5 million for a sleek apartment in New York’s SoHo. Add to that a sprawling property in Monaco and an £8.5 million mansion in Marbella, and you’ve got one of the more glamorous property portfolios in tennis. Yet, according to his father, Belgrade was always meant to be the final stop. He also owns a penthouse in New Belgrade overlooking Lake Pavlova for £505,000 ($ 5,90,395).

But that may no longer be the case. Recently, Djokovic has found himself at odds with the Serbian government after publicly supporting student-led protests against state negligence and corruption. During Wimbledon, his post-match “pump it up” celebration was actually a gesture linked to the protest movement.

So now, the former World No.1 finds himself searching for a new home.

Novak Djokovic scouts a possible post-retirement home

As the end of his tennis career inches closer, Novak Djokovic’s future home might be somewhere a little sunnier and beachier. Greek newspaper Proto Thema reported that Djokovic has been scouting properties in the upscale northern suburb of Marousi. According to Serbian outlet Blic, the villa he’s eyeing once belonged to Dimitrios Giannakopoulos, the owner of Panathinaikos, one of Athens’ most prominent basketball clubs.

While early reports suggested he was planning to buy the property, Blic now claims Djokovic has chosen to rent instead, paying eight months of rent upfront to secure a better deal. He’s also reportedly found suitable schools for his two children in the area, suggesting this isn’t just a fleeting idea.

The decision may have been helped along by his recent lunch with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and businessman Petros Stathis, during which the Serbian was granted a coveted “Golden Visa,” offering him five years of residence in Greece.

But the 38-year-old tennis star isn’t just planning to live in Athens; he might invest in it, too. Local media have reported that he’s considering building new sports facilities in the city, possibly including a tennis court at the Athens Olympic Sports Complex (OAKA), not far from the Marousi villa.

He may not be stepping away from tennis just yet, but his property search in Athens marks a new chapter off the court. Whether it’s a future home or just a new base, the move has certainly turned heads.