Novak Djokovic future remains unclear after Serb’s family move countries
Novak Djokovic’s future remains up in the air after his recent semi-final defeat in Flushing Meadows. Aged 38, Djokovic reached the semis of all four Majors this year, but couldn’t make it any further. He lost to Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets and then waved goodbye to the US Open crowd, making a heart with his hands.
Now, his schedule for the rest of the 2025 season is unclear. Djokovic recently moved from his home of Belgrade, Serbia, to Athens, Greece, with his family, and he seems keen to stay put before getting back on the tennis tour.
The world No. 4 is on the entry list for the upcoming Masters 1000 in Shanghai, which kicks off at the beginning of October. Djokovic finished runner-up in Shanghai last year, losing to Jannik Sinner, and he’s a four-time former champion at the tournament.
READ: How Novak Djokovic could qualify for the ATP Finals even without playing anymore
However, there has been strong speculation that he will skip the Shanghai Masters after the tournament shared a promotional graphic to social media featuring dozens of players, with Djokovic noticeably absent.
While his name remains on the entry list for now, fans believe the 38-year-old will likely withdraw from the event closer to the time.
After bowing out of the US Open, Djokovic himself made it clear that he didn’t know what he’d be doing with his schedule for the rest of the year. He only has one tournament on his list – the ATP 250 in Athens.
Asked when and where he was planning to play between now and the 2026 Australian Open, he replied: “That’s far. Australia is far. At least at this stage of my career, I mean, I’m not thinking that far, to be honest. I don’t know.
“I’m planning to play Athens tournament, that’s for sure, but other than that, it’s really still a question mark where I’m going to go and what I’m going to do.”
Djokovic and his family recently moved to Athens, and he was even spotted watching Greece’s Davis Cup tie against Brazil with his son, Stefan, over the weekend.
The world No. 4 doesn’t usually play ATP 250 events – the lowest tournament tier on the ATP circuit – but his brother is in charge of the Belgrade Open, which this year is relocating to Athens, so he has committed to playing.
Over the last few years, Djokovic has repeatedly expressed that Grand Slam tournaments and opportunities to represent his country remain his priority, instead of chasing other ATP titles, including Masters 1000s.
He could still play the Paris Masters, which takes place the week before the Athens event, and he looks primed to qualify for the ATP Finals, which is played the week after the ATP 250 in Greece.
But Djokovic ended his season early last year, after his run to the Shanghai Masters final, and skipped both tournaments, even though he was the defending champion. So it wouldn’t be a surprise if he misses the Paris Masters or the season-ending championships in Turin again.
Before withdrawing from those competitions in 2024, he said: “I am not chasing ATP Finals, I am not chasing the rankings. As far as I’m concerned, I am done with those tournaments for my career. Whether I will play others this year or in the future, I can’t say right now.
“My main priorities are playing for the national team and Slams. Everything else is less important. I said a million times how much it means to play for the national team.”
