Novak Djokovic’s Last Wimbledon? Signs Point to It
By Thompson Brown
Just days before Wimbledon started, Novak Djokovic made news that had nothing to do with tennis.
General Atlantic, a global investment firm, announced on June 26th that Djokovic is joining as a Global Strategic Advisor.
“This is the first partnership of this kind for me,” Djokovic said in an interview with Bloomberg from Wimbledon. “I like to disrupt, I like to challenge the status quo on and off the court, and I’m looking for people who are like-minded.”
Djokovic has played just three events since the Australian Open final in January. He then lost in the third round at Roland Garros to João Fonseca and entered Wimbledon without any competitive matches on grass this year. He is 39, seeded seventh, but the sportsbooks have him as the second favorite only behind world number one Jannik Sinner.
An eighth Wimbledon title would match Roger Federer’s all-time record. A win would also give him a standalone 25th Grand Slam, the most any player has ever won.
The truth is, Djokovic has not been waiting around. While the rest of us were watching him win on the court, he was quietly building something. A supplement brand (SILA), stakes in health food companies, and wellness wearables like Incrediwear. General Atlantic is not a completely new direction. And when the firm’s CEO says Djokovic has strong views on reshaping professional tennis, that does not sound like a player who plans to be solely focused on competing much longer.
None of this means he cannot win Wimbledon 2026. Carlos Alcaraz is out with a wrist injury and Jannik Sinner proved physically vulnerable to the heat at Roland Garros. Djokovic pushed back on any notion that he was not ready. “I think I’m better prepared here than I was for Roland Garros,” he said. “I always loved playing on grass. I have a very good score here. That gives me a higher dose of confidence.”
But a 39-year-old with injury concerns and a private equity advisory role does not seem like a man who sees himself competing for many more Grand Slams. He looks like a man who wants one more before he walks away, but also one who would not mind joining his rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal (both also involved in private equity) in retirement and spending more time with his wife, daughter, and son.
Whether the GOAT lifts the trophy or not, we may never see him competing on Centre Court again.
