Tennis News Roundup: Novak Djokovic fiercely shuts down retirement speculations; Ben Shelton's girlfriend Trinity sends touching message to American & more

Novak Djokovic has clarified that although retirement thoughts have crossed his mind, he is enjoying competition and is far from saying goodbye. Ben Shelton's girlfriend, Trinity Rodman, reflected on his 2025 season and shared a heartening message ahead of the ATP Finals.

Aryna Sabalenka reacted to her coach, Anton Dubrov, leaving the arena after she directed her anger towards her team during the WTA Finals. Jannik Sinner joked that he was about to ban his mother from attending his matches. Alexander Zverev's mother, Irina Zvereva, recalled the family's challenging journey of raising the player, who has Type 1 diabetes.

Let's look into the top stories of the day:

#1. Novak Djokovic rubbishes retirement rumors, says he will go on his terms

ATP 250 tournament in Athens - Source: Getty

Novak Djokovic hasn't been at his best since winning the Olympic gold last year. His lone title in 2025 came at the ATP 250 Geneva Open, and he has struggled with injuries as well. However, the Serbian legend is in no mood to bid farewell anytime soon.

After his second-round win at the Hellenic Championship on Tuesday, Djokovic said he doesn't play only to win titles but also because he enjoys competing. The 24-time Grand Slam winner shot down retirement rumors, saying his decision will not be shaped by others' opinions.

"Yes, I’ve thought about it more than once, that’s for sure. But I refuse to talk about it. I simply want to enjoy moments like today on the court. Like Stan Wawrinka, I say: ‘Leave me alone. Let me play and have fun.’ There is no countdown. Of course, the idea has crossed my mind, but I play at my own pace, when I want to, not when others think I should stop," he said.

Djokovic is expected to compete in the ATP Finals from November 9 onwards.

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#2. Ben Shelton's girlfriend pens appreciation post for him

A rising star in the tennis world, Ben Shelton broke into the Top 10 of the ATP rankings in June. He reached a career-high No. 6 rank after winning the Canadian Open in August.

The American is gearing up for his ATP Finals debut in Turin. The tournament will be played from November 9 to 16, and will feature players such as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, among others.

Soccer player and Shelton's girlfriend, Trinity Rodman, recently shared an appreciation post for him on her Instagram stories.

"What a year... #6 in the world. You've worked so hard this year and put in so much work. Through adversities and losses, you have continued to thrive. You prove the doubters wrong and amaze me everyday. Breaking into the top ten this year and continuing to move up has been the most rewarding thing to see," she wrote. "Last tournament of the season and it's the Finals! You are one of a kind and you grow the sport every time you are yourself out there. I love you❤️. One more push and then I get you all offseason! Hehe🤭 ," Rodman added.

Rodman's story - via @trinity_rodman on Instagram

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#3. Aryna Sabalenka regrets her actions that drove her coach out of WTA Finals match

Aryna Sabalenka admitted she was wrong after her meltdown and furious reaction at her player's box forced her coach, Anton Dubrov, to exit the arena during her WTA Finals clash on Tuesday. The World No. 1 secured a hard-fought victory (6-4, 2-6, 6-3) over Jessica Pegula, but was visibly frustrated during the match.

During a post-match interview, the Belarusian said she would find Dubrov and explain herself. The 27-year-old said she was extremely stressed and ended up venting to her team.

"Maybe I went a little bit too much on Anton. If he's still here, we're gonna talk but I don't know where he is. But yeah, I went a bit too much. I was so frustrated inside of me and I was just trying to let it go. Probably, I went too far. Not probably, I went too far," she said. "Honestly, I think it was the right move from him to just let me be on my own. And I don't want to say the way I wanted to say but he really upset me and I was really, really stressed and angry on him. And that really helped me to pull out such tennis," she added.

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#4. Jannik Sinner jokes about nearly banning his mother from his matches

Jannik Sinner is in Turin to defend his title at the ATP Finals. The Italian has had a memorable season so far, winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon. He also won the Paris Masters last week to replace Carlos Alcaraz as the World No. 1.

During a recent interview with Sky Sport, Sinner joked that whenever his mother, Siglinde, attended his title clashes, he lost.

"I reach the final in Roland Garros, I call her and she says, 'I'm coming tomorrow,' so she comes, she sits in my box and she watches a match where everything and more happened [laughs], but she stayed there. I told her that she survived that (so she can survive everything). In Rome, she came to the tournament, she didn't watch any match but she was at the final. I lost it. In Paris she was there, I lost it," he said.

Sinner had decided that if he lost the Wimbledon final in his mother's presence, he would not allow her to watch him live again, though he didn't tell her.

"When she told me she would come to Wimbledon, I didn't tell her, but I wanted to tell her that it's her last chance," Sinner added.

However, the curse broke, with Sinner defeating Alcaraz, despite losing the first set.

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#5. Alexander Zverev's mother weighs in on raising him while managing his Type 1 diabetes

Alexander Zverev was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of four and has always needed insulin injections. With such a serious disease, the doctors had advised him not to play tennis. However, the German followed his heart and became one of the world's best players.

Zverev's foundation has teamed up with medical device company Medtronic to raise awareness about diabetes. His mother, Irina Zvereva, recently revealed the family's journey while raising Zverev.

"Sascha was very young when he got diabetes, at the age of four. We were with him day and night. In the initial years, we got up every night. His blood sugar was checked every three hours. And of course, my husband helped me. We took turns - one night him, one night me," she said.

She concluded by reassuring others that they could choose the life they wanted while living with the disease.

Edited by Parag Jain