Henin, on Djokovic: "Can you enjoy the game without being able to compete at the highest level?"
The former number one expressed regret over the situation Djokovic experienced in his debut at the US Open and believes that the Serbian is in a process of “accepting that perhaps the best is already over and that there is also another life in the future.”
The image of Novak Djokovic crying and suffering in his debut with a loss at the US Open 2026 against Mariano Navone has gone viral. The scene confirms the end of an era. The Serbian, who has been fighting against Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner for two years, is facing the worst possible rival: his own body. And when that happens, retirement only gains strength.
It was experienced by Roger Federer at that Wimbledon in 2021 and Rafa Nadal at the ATP 250 in Bastad in 2024; time is relentless, and it is slowly running out for a Djokovic who could only show his best version at the Australian Open, where he defeated Sinner in the semifinals and fought hard in the final against Alcaraz. Since then, it's been an uphill battle.
Henin showed great compassion for Djokovic's current situation
After his setback at the US Open, an uncomfortable but necessary question arises: When will Djokovic retire? A question that is also beginning to be asked in the tennis world, as is the case with Justine Henin, former world number one and seven-time Grand Slam champion.
“Undoubtedly, Djokovic has many questions in his mind because he has always had the necessary resources to face what he has had to live through. But he has also talked in the last two years about the fact that he is no longer winning as much as before; that he is no longer winning Grand Slams,” he assured in a statement to Eurosport.
The Belgian continued her argument with a direct question to the 24-time Grand Slam champion: “He continues to play in the big leagues. He continues to play to make history in the sport in a different way. He also wants to continue enjoying what he does, but can you really enjoy the game without being able to compete at the highest level?.”
The four-time Roland Garros champion took it a step further and spoke about the process of accepting that perhaps it is time to hang up the racket. “For a long time, he maintained a very high level. He hadn't lost in the first round of a Grand Slam in 20 years. Will this change his perspective? It will also depend on how he reacts physically in the coming weeks and months. But it will probably be a process, a process we do not have access to as we think about his future, to accept that maybe the best is now behind him and that there is also another life in the future.”
Novak Djokovic looks very emotional down 1-3 in the 5th set against Navone at the US Open.
Definitely in pain physically, but these also look like emotional tears.
4+ hours at 39 years old.
The New York crowd is trying to give him a push for another heroic comeback.
🥹 pic.twitter.com/QsZqF0Z04o— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 31, 2026
Henin also talked about how much longer Djokovic will continue to play. “It will be a matter of time. He cannot answer, and we all have to accept it because it is a process that concerns only him. I don’t have the answer. With these champions, we always want to imagine that somehow they will live forever. They will remain legends, without a doubt, forever. We still hope they find some resources.”
And she recalled how hard it was to say goodbye to Federer and Nadal in their time: “It was difficult with Roger Federer, it was also very hard with Rafa, and it will be difficult in a different way with Novak. So today I'm a little more worried than I was a few months ago. But on the other hand, there is nothing dramatic, regardless of what he decides in the coming months.”
“I believe that tennis has a future and he will be an important part of the history of this sport. It was about him trying to surpass himself once again, to obtain those emotions, and he also seeks that with the audience. “I think he wants to keep experiencing this kind of emotions, but perhaps with more joy in the future, so we will see,” concluded Justine Henin who is already starting to see the end of Novak Djokovic.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Henin, sobre Djokovic: "¿Acaso se puede disfrutar del juego sin poder competir al más alto nivel?"