Novak Djokovic‘s tennis journey has reached a point where he can take one call. Or to put his racket down forever. Or to keep swinging until the strings come out. The 38-year-old has struggled to keep up with the physical demands of the game of late. Not to mention his dwindling consistency against the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Still, the 24-time Grand Slam champion wants to go on. “It’s not happening, sorry,” said Djokovic in Riyadh about the prospect of retirement, even as he withdrew mid-match from the Six Kings Slam.

While his decision is clear, a former WTA icon has now come under fire for her take on Djokovic’s future. Former player and Serena Williams’ old coach, Rennae Stubbs, reflected on the Serb’s injury woes and lack of titles during an episode of her podcast. “He is the greatest of all time. He has all the records,” said Stubbs, before pointing out the biggest concern. “Novak just doesn’t look like he has enough on the ball anymore against some of these players. But at some point, Father Time catches up with you. I want him to keep playing. But I just feel like, is he going to want to keep just grinding until the French and Wimbledon again? He’s not trying to win another Masters 1000 or 500; he has got all the records. There is no reason for him to play any more.”

In the following days, however, Stubbs’ words were taken out of context when TNT Sports highlighted her “no reason for him to play anymore” comment with no further information. But soon, several fans began lambasting her for these words. After the drama transpired on X, Stubbs cut a frustrated figure as she slammed TNT Sports in a comment: “Post the whole conversation! This is terribly taken out of context.”

As of this article, there has been no update or response from TNT Sports to Stubbs. But as for the retirement question, most analyses are moot considering Djokovic himself has no intention of hanging up his racket anytime soon. Even an ex-ATP icon thinks the former World No.1 should keep competing in professional campaigns.

Novak Djokovic backed to continue playing by former British ATP icon

Former British pro Tim Henman recently shared his honest thoughts on whether Novak Djokovic should retire or not going forward. He noted that the Serb “made four Grand Slam semi-finals this year and that is a phenomenal achievement,” but also accepted that “against these youngsters who are at the peak of their powers, he’s not been able to come up with the solutions.”

Still, the former World No. 4’s tone shifted positively toward the 10-time Australian Open king. “What I always say about these great players is they should play as long as they want.” Per him, Djokovic is one of those iconic players “who has earned the right to play as long as they want. If they are enjoying it, keep playing. It’s the best job in the world. You are a long time retired,”

Wondering what lies ahead for him in the new season, Henman added, “It will be interesting to see how Djokovic approaches 2026, what his schedule is like and his level of play,”

Djokovic, if fully fit, can never be counted out. Winning either the Paris Masters or the ATP Finals title may give him a much-needed confidence boost. But again, achieving these goals won’t be easy. Especially when it comes to facing his two tough opponents, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. The Spaniard beat the Serbian last month during the US Open semifinal.

On the other hand, Sinner has bested him three times already this season. He edged him out in Paris and Wimbledon in the last four rounds. And this month, again in the semis, the “Italian Machine” outperformed him at the Six Kings Slam. Going forward, the biggest question for Djokovic will be: How can he overcome the Sincaraz trouble to keep his own Slam hopes alive?