Novak Djokovic isn't the youngest player anymore, but the Serbian is still very motivated to battle some of the younger players who want to beat him.
Much has been said about Djokovic's 2024 campaign, which hasn't been his best. He managed to win the Paris Olympics, which is the one goal he chose at the start of the season.
Still, not being able to win a single Grand Slam is something that he won't be happy about. The 37-year-old has brushed off any suggestions of retiring, as he's keen to keep playing.
He confirmed this ahead of an exhibition match against Grigor Dimitrov in Sofia, when he talked about his ambition to still compete against some of the young wolves who are coming through in the sport.
Players like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have arrived, but there are even younger players coming through, wanting a piece of the pie. At 37, Djokovic understands that he's not the youngest anymore, but he still has that burning passion to compete.
Like any athlete, he's obsessed with it, but in a good way, which he needs to be to give himself a chance.
"I am already 37 years old, which is a serious age for a professional tennis player. I've been playing for almost 20 years and my body is feeling it more and more. That's exactly why I'm playing less often and becoming more picky about my schedule."
"You have to be obsessed, but in a good way. Going to bed and getting up thinking how to get better. This applies to an even greater extent in individual sports, since in them there is no one to hide behind. There are a lot of hungry wolves, young players challenging the veterans, but we are still strong."
Obviously, it's not as easy as it once was because Djokovic does feel his age. He hasn't been playing as much tennis lately, and he's certainly picking and choosing his spots on the calendar.
He recently admitted that he doesn't care about the ATP Finals anymore, and those are some of the decisions he has to make to keep competing. He will have to be even more diligent in choosing his spots moving forward to have a chance to compete against players who are able to recover quicker than he can.
Only a couple of tournaments have been confirmed for his calendar. The Serbian player will play in Shanghai at the ATP Masters 1000 event and the exhibition tournament in Saudi Arabia.
That will come after his exhibition match against Grigor Dimitrov in Bulgaria, which he was really happy to take part in.
"I am happy that I had the chance to come to Bulgaria before ending my career. I hope we will make a good show for the audience."