Novak Djokovic's wife Jelena continues to be proven right after she knew her husband wouldn't be able to resist the allure of tennis after he threatened to retire. Her stance from 2018 looks to still be correct in the twilight of his career.

Djokovic ultimately persevered and has since become a true sporting legend, even recently hinting at playing into his 40s. The former world No. 1 has clinched a men's record-breaking 24 Grand Slam singles titles, solidifying his status as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.

However, Djokovic hasn't managed to secure a Grand Slam victory since the 2023 US Open. The Serbian star has made it to the semi-finals of all four major tournaments this year but will turn 39 next year and has been dogged by injuries throughout 2025,fuelling fresh speculationabout his retirement.

In fact, Djokovic nearly hung up his racket seven years ago before making an impressive comeback. At that point he had only won half of his major championships, with a mix of recurring injuries and mounting frustrations leading him to briefly step away from the game.

In a 2020 conversation, Jelena recalled the emotional period, saying: "He wanted to quit. He gathered all the members of his team and told them, 'You know what, I'm done, I'm quitting.' We cried and told him that he couldn't do it, that it wasn't the right time."

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She added: "He didn't want to play tennis, and he didn't even want to see a ball pass in front of him." Djokovic even alerted his sponsors that he was retiring, only for Jelena to remind him just how much tennis means to him, spurring on his U-turn.

The persuasive powers of Jelena and their children, Stefan and Tara, reignited his desire to return. "He didn't want to know anything about it," Jelena explained.

"But I love tennis and I take the kids to the court every day. On the third day, Novak arrived. He saw we were having fun, and it wasn't the intense training he was accustomed to for years. Novak asked me if he could play and get a racket, but I refused.

"I started teasing him, saying he had quit and now it was our turn to play tennis. Eventually, he served and felt good, then returned daily until he finally called his coach Marian Vajda to start training again."

His choice to carry on playing became one of the greatest comebacks in tennis history. He added 12 more major titles to his resume, reaching a staggering and record-equalling 24 Grand Slams.

Djokovic has now poured cold water on his retirement coming anytime soon. The tennis hero delivered a message of defiance over his future while speaking at an event held at the Joy Forum in Saudi Arabia ahead of the recent Six Kings Slam.

Hinting he'd like to continue playing past his 40th birthday in May 2027, he said: "Longevity is one of my biggest motivations and I really want to see how far I can go. You see across all the global sports, you know, LeBron James is still going strong.

"Cristiano Ronaldo, Tom Brady played until he was 40. I want to keep going. I also want to live, I mean keep on playing professionally, to see the change that is coming for our sport and I'm super excited about it."

When pressed about hanging up his racquet, Djokovic added: "It's not happening. I'm sorry to disappoint them. It's just not happening." However, ex-world No. 1 doubles champion Rennae Stubbs reckons Djokovic might call it quits after January's Australian Open.

"I feel like the Australian Open is going to be his last major tournament to play," she said via GB News. "I don't think he wants to keep playing after that and have to go through the French Open. I feel like the Australian Open would be a great way to finish his career. It's where his Grand Slam titles started."

Djokovic has previously sent conflicting messages about what lies ahead. Following his exit from this year's French Open, he hinted he might never return to Roland Garros. "This could have been the last match I ever played here, so I don't know," he told supporters after losing to Jannik Sinner. However, Djokovic recently hinted at his participation in next year's Paris Masters, after sitting out this year's tournament.

His comment suggests he is preparing to play on for much longer, perhaps realising that he loves the game too much to walk away from it like Jelena predicted in 2018. Writing on X, the Serbian star said: "Dear Paris, unfortunately I'll not compete at this year's @RolexPMasters. I have amazing memories and great success over the years, especially being able to conquer the title seven times. Hope to see you next year. Merci."