"Grandpa gonna be on court forever"; "Stubborn & hubristic" - Fans mock Novak Djokovic after Serb refuses to retire from tennis at 38

Novak Djokovic recently quashed rumours about his retirement, stating that he wasn't about to hang up his racket ‘anytime soon'. Reacting to this, fans were quick to make their feelings known about the Serb's assertion.

Djokovic is undoubtedly one of the best tennis players the game has ever seen. His career has seen him win 24 Grand Slam titles and spend 428 weeks as the World No.1. However, with his aging body, the 38-year-old has struggled to live up to his own standard in the last two years, especially when it comes to facing Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

Despite these struggles, Novak Djokovic recently stated that he will not be retiring anytime soon, saying in an appearance at the Joy Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,

“People want me to retire, but that won't happen soon. Longevity is one of my biggest motivations. I want to see how far I can go.”

Reacting to this statement by the Serb, one fan on X wrote,

“He is a legend of our sport but this just comes across as stubborn and hubristic. I applaud his wish to keep winning but fans also deserve a new generation who can challenge his records.”

Neil Roberts

@neilrobertscdf

“He is a legend of our sport but this just comes across as stubborn and hubristic. I applaud his wish to keep winning but fans also deserve a new generation who can challenge his records.”

Another fan mocked the Serb, writing,

“Grandpa gonna be on court forever oh-”

Sid | USO24-25

@sid_balenka

“Grandpa gonna be on court forever oh-”

Here is how other tennis enthusiasts reacted to Djokovic's statement:

“That's nice of him to keep going so we can watch SinCaraz obliterate him every time,” one fan wrote.

“Okay, don't whine tomorrow about being unable to last 5 sets,” another added.

“I don't want Djokovic to retire: I love when Jannik steamrolls him,” one X user commented.

“Sigh! So much better to go out on top than become a has been,” another fan chimed in.

Novak Djokovic reveals his motivation behind playing

Djokovic at the The 2025 Joy Forum (Image Source: Getty)

Novak Djokovic has won everything there is to be won in the sport of tennis. While many might be wondering what pushes the Serb to continue playing at 38, he recently revealed his motivation behind staying on court.

In his appearance at the Joy Forum in Riyadh, the former World No.1 revealed he wanted to be a part of the ‘change’ that will take place in tennis in the upcoming years, saying,

"These are things I can't be openly speaking about at the moment, but in the next couple of years, I feel like tennis is a sport that can be greatly transformed, and I want to be part of that change.”

Overall, Novak Djokovic has enjoyed a strong 2025 season by anyone else's stahdards. The Serb made it to the semifinals of all four Grand Slam events and won his 100th career title at the Geneva Open. He also made a semifinals appearance at the recently concluded Shanghai Masters.