Novak Djokovic has been given a two-month deadline to prove his intentions after an unusual season.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion parted ways with his long-time coach at the start of the year and has suffered some uncharacteristic early exits at the biggest tournaments.

Jim Courier now wants to see Djokovic take action otherwise he believes the former No. 1 will already be halfway to retirement.

Djokovic had a disappointing year by his standards. He was ousted early at events like the US Open, Indian Wells and Rome. But he also won the one title he’s been desperate to get his hands on – the Olympic gold medal.

The 37-year-old also made a drastic decision back in March, mutually ending his partnership with Goran Ivanisevic after five years together. Eight months on, Djokovic still hasn’t hired a full-time coach while Ivanisevic already has a new job with Elena Rybakina.

The Serb also ended his season early when he pulled out of the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals despite being the defending champion of both events citing injury. But Djokovic is desperate to have a strong 2025 season and recently said he would go “full throttle” in the off-season to prepare.

However, former world No. 1 Courier says Djokovic must hire a new coach if he wants to show he’s still serious about his tennis. “This next year is going to be super telling,” he told the Tennis Channel Inside-In podcast.

“I think it’s going to be really telling whether he adds a coach to his team in the off-season and shows up in Australia with a new idea and something new to think about.”

If Djokovic doesn’t seek out a new voice, Courier is convinced that it will be a sign of his plans to retire. He added: “If he doesn’t, he might have one foot out the door. If he does, has some fresh blood in his squad, then I would be bullish on him.”

A new coach could be crucial for Djokovic’s motivation as Courier believes the 37-year-old lost interest after parting ways with Ivanisevic. He continued: “That was certainly a big moment, I thought, this year, when Ivanisevic departed early in the season.

“And he seemed disinterested in some of the tournaments that he played in, which is understandable when you’ve done everything there is to do, especially when you consider him getting that gold medal, which was his primary focus.”

Based on Courier’s assessment, the Olympic champion has just two months to hire a new coach.

The Australian Open begins on January 12 and Djokovic will be keen to prove that he’s still taking tennis seriously when he shows up to his most successful Grand Slam tournament.

Djokovic could be back in action even sooner, as he recently revealed he was planning to play in the first week of the new season in January.

Whether or not he finds a new mentor, Courier is still backing Djokovic to hang around at the top of the game. “Novak, I think, will continue to stay around and be a problem for the top guys,” he added.

“But it’s going to be up to him how much he is going to engage with them, and it’s certainly not going to be on a full level. So, this year is, no question, a big shift. All four of the Majors went to the youth.”