Novak Djokovic returned to the tennis courts against Grigor Dimitrov in Sofia but confirmed that he doesn't have any special plans for the rest of the year.
If Djokovic’s results this year haven’t already made it clear, it’s start of a new era for the Serbian. He’s not pushing as hard as he once did and certainly won’t play as much as he used to in previous years. The 37-year-old had already confirmed this during his time in Belgrade for the Davis Cup tie against Greece.
When asked about the ATP Finals, Djokovic bluntly stated that he no longer cares about those events, signalling that he’s primarily focused on Grand Slams moving forward. He’s still also committed to playing in the Davis Cup, as he loves representing his country.
This admission from Djokovic is interesting but not entirely surprising. At 37, he only has a few more years left in tennis, and that’s assuming he continues to dedicate the same amount of time and effort. There is more to life than tennis, and after devoting so much time to the sport, Djokovic seems to be preparing to embrace other pursuits.
Speaking to the media in Sofia, at the exhibition against Grigor Dimitrov, Djokovic admitted that he doesn’t have long-term plans—neither for this year nor for next year. He’s simply taking it event by event, deciding as he goes. For now, his next stops are the Shanghai Masters in China, then the exhibition in Saudi Arabia, and beyond that, he’ll decide what to do next.
“For the first time in my career, I don't have long-term plans. I live in the present moment and I will see what happens. Today I will play in Sofia against Grigor, then in China, and then at an exhibition tournament in Saudi Arabia.”
“After that, I don't know. We'll see how I feel and we'll judge from there. Family life is very important to me. I want to be with my wife and children, be part of their daily lives, which I have not been able to do for many years.”
Djokovic will certainly continue playing next year, but the number of events he’ll participate in won’t be as high as it was this year, and certainly not like in years past. He’ll aim to win a few more tournaments, particularly the Grand Slams, but overall, he’s slowly preparing to bid farewell to the sport.
Smaller events don’t really matter to him anymore, and the best proof of that is Djokovic's decision not to play in Belgrade later this year. An ATP event is being held in the Serbian capital, and while he usually never missed an opportunity to compete in his home country, he’s opting out this time.
Instead, he plans to spend time with his family, and such decisions are likely to become more common in the months ahead. Time will reveal how this transition plays out, but fans shouldn’t expect to see him on the courts as often anymore.
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