Novak Djokovic has dropped a clear hint that he plans to stick around as a competitive tennis player for at least three more years. The 24-time Grand Slam champion says one tournament in particular is ‘the only thing on his mind’ as he looks to build on a CV which already boasts practically every major accolade.
Djokovic has dramatically cut down his tournament schedule, with the 38-year-old away and clear in the all-time men’s Grand Slam charts. His nearest challengers, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, stand no chance of catching him in retirement. And Djokovic admits that the ATP rankings are no longer a priority as he wades further into the twilight of his career.
With 10 Australian Open wins, three French Open titles, seven Wimbledon crowns, five US Open triumphs, an Olympic gold medal and an eternity spent at world No. 1, many are wondering what could be driving Djokovic to push on as a professional.
The man himself claims that most of his motivation stems from the prospect of becoming a back-to-back Olympic champion. He told (Ne)uspjeh prvaka on YouTube: “The only thing on my mind right now, and the only thing that motivates me, is the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.”
If he manages to stick it out for three more years, Djokovic will be playing professional tennis at the age of 41. But by that time his younger rivals – namely Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner – will be 25 and 26 respectively.
Although that is a daunting prospect, Djokovic is clear about his desire to continue in a tennis landscape which has changed wildly from when he was in his prime.
“Above all, for me, it’s love and passion for the sport,” he explained. “I love tennis, and I still love picking up a racket. The kid in me who fell in love with tennis is still there; I still feel that connection. If I didn’t have that passion and desire to compete, I wouldn’t continue, but I still love going out on the court and winning with a racket in my hands. That fire is still inside me.”
Djokovic proved he could still hang in there with the best at the French Open earlier this month. He beat the likes of Cameron Norrie and Alexander Zverev en route to the semi-finals, where he lost to top seed Sinner in straight sets.
Next up for Djokovic is Wimbledon. The veteran is not currently signed up to any warm-up tournaments on the grass, which he hopes will see him arrive at SW19 in better condition than his rivals.