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This previous weekend was a sad day for tennis fans all around the world. The great Roger Federer played his last ever competitive match, and the scenes were incredibly emotional. But at 41 years of age, many had anticipated that the Swiss Maestro would be calling it a day sooner rather than later. And I must admit, the send-off that Federer received at the Laver Cup seemed like a fitting way to wrap it all up.
Obviously, Federer will be sorely missed on the ATP Tour. To think that we will never get to see him strike another ball in any tournament still seems a little strange. Yet there is a positive to take despite all of the sadness – we’ve still got two legends of the game left in the form of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. However, as you can guess from the title, I wanted to take a look at exactly how much longer we might have them.
It’s a tough subject to address, I know, but it is inevitable that these guys will also follow suit at some point. And below, I have shared my two cents as to when the day of retirement might come for both players.
When Will Nadal and Djokovic Retire From Tennis?
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At the time of writing, both of these guys are approaching the twilight years of their careers. Djokovic is the younger of the two at 35 years of age, and Nadal is 36 years old. So already, the two have played much longer than anyone would have thought possible, maybe five or ten years ago. Then again, who would have thought that Federer would still be going into his late 30s?
Taking this into account, as promised, I’d like to give my own predictions as to when the next two legends may officially hang up their sticks. Here we go:
Rafael Nadal – 2023 Retirement
In my personal opinion, I believe that Rafael Nadal will retire before Djokovic. Not only is he older than Djokovic, but he also has far more injuries such as his chronic foot problem. And with Nadal turning 37 years old next year, one has to wonder how much longer his desire to compete will last. Not only that, but he is awaiting the imminent arrival of his first child, which will transform his personal life too.
Finally, the loss of Federer seemed to hit Nadal immensely hard over the weekend. So I really do believe that this will reduce his desire to keep going. And that’s why I think he may call it a day at the end of next season.
Novak Djokovic – 2025 Retirement
Djokovic is undoubtedly looking like he may enjoy more longevity than Nadal. He is a physical specimen, and apart from the odd injury or two in recent times, he is always 100% fit. Let’s not forget that he also has 1 Grand Slam less than Rafael Nadal too. And we all know how competitive Djokovic is. For me, he won’t rest until he surpasses Nadal and gets the all-time record. This is why I believe that he will keep going until 2025.
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