Novak Djokovic sometimes thinks about the end of his career, but even after winning his 24th Grand Slam title, he doesn’t want to stop playing tennis.
“Occasionally I ask myself: Why do I still need all this, after everything I have achieved? How long do I want to keep going? Of course I have these questions in my head,” the 36-year-old Serb reported on Sunday evening (local time). won the final of the US Open. “But as long as I’m still playing at this high level and winning the biggest tournaments in this sport, I don’t want to get rid of or leave this sport when I’m still at the top.”
With 6:3, 7:6 (7:5), 6:3 over Russian Daniil Medvedev, Djokovic won the Grand Slam tournament in New York for the fourth time. He replaces the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz as number one in the world rankings and extends his record with the 390th week in the top position.
Olympic Games in Los Angeles?
His coach Goran Ivanisevic even expects Djokovic to be there in five years. “He’s planning to play in the Olympics in Los Angeles,” the Croatian said with a laugh. “When is that, 2028? You know what’s going on in his head. It’s 24 hours about achieving something.”
It remained unclear whether Djokovic really already has plans for the Summer Games in the USA, which follow Paris in 2024. With the next Grand Slam title, he would now also leave the Australian Margaret Court behind as the women’s record holder. “If he wins 25, he will think: If I win 25, why not 26? There is always one more,” said former Wimbledon champion Ivanisevic (51) about his protégé’s way of thinking.
Djokovic himself assessed the finite nature of his career with a joke: “Players come and go. It will be the same fate for me,” he said. “Ultimately I’ll be leaving tennis in about 23, 24 years.”