'Leave him alone, look at him, I think he's ready to play another two, three years': Aryna Sabalenka weighs in on Novak Djokovic's future

As the Serbian legend continues to chase history at Roland Garros 2025, speculation about his retirement began to rise again, fueled by the reunion of the Big Four in Nadal's retirement ceremony. Novak Djokovic is the only active player left in that iconic group, and at 38 he knows the end of the road is near. Amidst the swirling rumors, women’s world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has stepped forward with a passionate defense of Djokovic, asking critics to stop pressuring and let Nole play.

Despite clinching his 100th career title at the Geneva Open just days before the French Open, some experts and fans have questioned whether the 24-time Grand Slam champion should consider hanging up his racket.

However, Sabalenka’s recent press conference offered a refreshing point of view to the retirement narrative. "Leave him alone," she declared emphatically. "You are trying to put as much pressure as you can on Novak." Sabalenka’s words surprised the media present, highlighting the relentless scrutiny that Djokovic has faced throughout his career.

"Leave him alone. Look at him. He’s fit, strong. Mentally, physically, I think he’s ready to play, I don’t know, another two, three years. He’s doing really well. Of course there are up-and-downs, everyone has them."

“I believe the older you get, the tougher it gets to stay consistent on the level. But we see whenever he’s ready, whenever he’s healthy and fit, he’s there, and he’s playing great tennis. So just leave him alone. Let him just be. Imagine if he is going to retire tomorrow, then everyone is going to be sad, no?"

Sabalenka’s comments reflect a broader sentiment among tennis fans who have witnessed the recent retirements of Roger Federer and Andy Murray. She admitted to feeling emotional during a recent ceremony at Roland Garros honoring Rafael Nadal.

"It was so sad to see the ceremony, the ‘Big Four’ were on the court and you understand that three of them retired, everyone missing their games," Sabalenka said. "So let’s just let Novak to be there to show and fight and show his greatness and to inspire that generation.”

After his second-round win over Corentin Moutet, Djokovic himself addressed concerns about his age. "The recovery time is not much longer,” he stated. "I’m pretty fit at the moment. I don’t feel like I have any major issues…I don’t think it’s going to be an issue for me to recover. Good thing about Slams, obviously you have a day in between, so plenty of time to recover and get ready for the next one," concluded former World No. 1.

Djokovic will be seeing action again in this 2025 French Open on Saturday, facing Austria's Filip Misolic.