After his 2023 US Open win, Novak Djokovic was in very high spirits, joking that he'll leave the sport in about 23 or 24 years.
It's not the first time Djokovic joked about something like that, as he once famously referred to Rafael Nadal and himself as the next-gen. It's all jokes, but don't be fooled by the wording because you don't get to 24 Grand Slams without being a ruthless competitor.
Both Nadal and him are just that, and it's why they created as much tennis history as they did. It's incredible when you're able to compete with players who are a decade younger than you. This time around, he took the joke even further about leaving the sport in about 20 years when new players came in and took over.
I think judging by the attendance of people in all slams and, you know, the kind of a hype that goes around Grand Slams, tennis is still in a good place. You know, players come and go. It will be the same kind of destiny for me.
Eventually one day I will leave tennis in about 23, 24 years. And there is going to be new young players coming up. Until then, I guess you'll see me a bit more.
It probably won't last 20 years, but don't expect Djokovic to retire any time soon. Goran Ivanisevic just said that the Serbian might play until 2028, so a few more years with Djokovic are almost certain. How many trophies he wins is also a question, but he's only six away from 30 Grand Slams, and some suggested he might end up there.
Time will tell, but there seems to be a very few players that can really challenge him. In the last year or so it's only been Alcaraz really and even he is not as consistent as he needs to be to challenge him all the time.
0 Comments