Tim Henman makes Novak Djokovic retirement prediction after US Open loss

Tim Henman believes Novak Djokovic will give himself one final shot at glory at the Australian Open before potentially calling time on his illustrious career, following his latest Grand Slam setback at the US Open.

Djokovic, 38, was chasing a record-breaking 25th major in New York, but his run was halted by Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals. The Spaniard broke early to take control of the opening set, edged a tight second-set tie-break, and then capitalised on a fading Djokovic to complete a 6-4, 7-6, 6-2 victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Asked whether he expected Djokovic to continue after his straight-sets defeat, Henman told Sky Sports: "I think he will. I think he will give it one more year at the Australian Open. That's where he's had his greatest success. So I think he will have one more attempt down there. But maybe he doesn't even know at this stage."

Henman was full of praise for Alcaraz's performance but urged perspective when assessing Djokovic's efforts at his age.

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"It was a brilliant performance from Alcaraz. Spare a thought for Novak, those first two sets so close but Alcaraz was able to come up with the answers and find solutions. Novak faded fast but it's another incredible performance from a 38-year-old to make four Grand Slam semi-finals. It was a step too far as it has been all year."

The defeat marked Djokovic's first loss to Alcaraz on a hard court in four meetings, with the Spaniard avenging his defeats to the Serbian at this year's Australian Open and the 2024 Paris Olympics. It also continued a trend in 2025, where Djokovic has fallen short against either Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner in three of the four majors.

Djokovic was quick to address speculation about his future after another grueling battle with a player 16 years his junior.

"It will be very difficult for me in the future to overcome the hurdle of Sinner and Alcaraz in BO5, I have better chance in best-of-three. I'm not giving up on Grand Slams in that regard. Having said that I'm going to continue fighting and trying to get to the finals, to fight for the trophy, at least, but it's going to be a very difficult task," he said.

He added: "I lost three out of four slams in semi-finals to the two of them, they're just too good. They're playing on a really high level. Unfortunately, I just ran out of gas after the second set. Think I had enough energy to keep up with his rhythm for two sets, after that I was gassed out."

Djokovic has frequently alluded to the approaching end of his career, though he has not set out a definitive timeline. Another humbling defeat to one of the new generation has inevitably fuelled further doubts about his future. But with ten of his 24 Grand Slam titles won in Melbourne, Henman expects the Serbian legend to push for one last triumph at the 2026 Australian Open.