Novak Djokovic was asked about his love for tennis, and the Serbian said his feelings were strong enough to want to stay involved in the sport when he retires.
For a long time, Novak Djokovic lived somewhat in the shadow of his great rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal because of the greater fan adoration those two received at most tournaments.
Despite not enjoying the same level of crowd support, Djokovic has statistically surpassed Federer and Nadal due to having more weeks at No. 1, more Grand Slams, and more Masters 1000 titles.
Breaking those records, Federer's retirement and Nadal's repeated physical injuries in the last two years have led to Djokovic finally receiving more affection from fans worldwide, who realize how significant his legacy is.
Djokovic is in China preparing for the Shanghai Masters, which will be his first tournament in the country since 2019. He is adored by millions of fans all over China, who have missed watching him play.
A large crowd gathered to greet the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the airport, demonstrating his popularity. However, they were left disappointed after a mix-up led to Djokovic missing them.
He is also a voice everyone in the tennis world listens to and respects. That is why his recent comments about Jannik Sinner's doping case were notable after the World Anti-Doping Agency(WADA) elected to appeal the original case.
Djokovic responded to the question about his love for the sport by saying it runs deeper than a tournament or a single success or failure. His years at the top make his connection to the sport a special one.
"My love for tennis will never fade away. I have a lot of emotions when I'm playing, and not particularly only in the tournament, but also practice sessions. Sometimes it's not always going your way, but I think my relationship with tennis goes much deeper than a tournament or a year or success or failure."
Although fans love debating various issues surrounding the sport, it is impossible for viewers of the ATP or WTA Tours to understand the feelings the top players have for tennis after working so hard for many years to challenge at the biggest tournaments.
Djokovic does not plan on making a clean break from tennis when he retires. The former world No. 1 wants to stay actively involved, although he thinks this will be in different roles rather than just one fixed position.
"It's just, you know, a sport that I fell in love with when I was very young, and I still have the love for the sport. Even when I retire from professional tennis, I feel like I'm going to stay in tennis, stay involved in, you know, in different roles, because I feel like I owe this sport a lot for what it has been giving to me."
Legendary figures staying close to tennis after retirement is positive. Roger Federer has done that with his involvement at the Laver Cup, and it will be interesting to see what Djokovic does when he decides to hang up his racket.