‘Novak Djokovic would like to continue playing at least until…’: Sponsor CEO drops bombshell retirement update

Novak Djokovic’s long-time sponsor Lacoste’s CEO Thierry Guibert opened up on the former world no. 1 retirement plans.

Novak Djokovic last won a Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open, and since then has failed to win a single major. The Serbian ace did cinch his maiden gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but has failed to find any consistency this season. There have been rumours of him announcing his retirement, especially since Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray did the same last year.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic in action.(AFP)

Recently, Djokovic’s long-time sponsor Lacoste’s CEO Thierry Guibert opened up on the former World No. 1 retirement plans, and hinted that he is likely to continue playing next year too.

“Novak would like to continue playing at least until the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. We are discussing the renewal right now and I have no doubt that we will find a convenient agreement for both parties within a few weeks. Since this collaboration began, he has won half of his Grand Slam titles with us. He has made a significant contribution to the development of the brand in recent years,” he said.

How has Novak Djokovic fared in 2025?

This year, Djokovic reached the Australian Open semis, and also reached the finals of the Miami Open. But since then, he has failed to impress, and made first round exits in back-to-back tournaments, at the Monte Carlo Masters and Madrid Open.

After his defeat in Madrid, he confirmed that he would not be participating at the Italian Open, where Jannik Sinner is making his comeback from suspension.

Djokovic has been ranked as World No. 1 by the ATP for a record 428 weeks across a record 13 different years, and has also ended up as year-end No. 1 a record eight times. He has won 24 major men’s singles titles, including a record ten Australian Open trophies. He is also the only player in singles to have won all of the Big Titles over the course of his career.