Martina Navratilova warned Novak Djokovic that "father time" would catch up with him, and she even admitted that it was possibly already starting to happen.
"Father time" happened a long time ago for Djokovic. It’s been years since he became a father, and he already has two kids, and in recent years, it hasn’t impacted him too much, as he managed to add multiple Grand Slam titles to his ever-growing legacy.
However, he has recently started to look a bit old. His US Open performance made him appear older, as it was the least lively performance we’ve seen from Djokovic in a long time.
At the Paris Olympics, he looked far better in comparison, but it's clear that he’s not as consistently great as he once was. There could be multiple reasons for that, but it likely comes down to motivation.
After winning so much, it’s hard to keep motivation high. When he does, he plays amazingly. The Olympics showed that. He was motivated, and he couldn’t be denied, but that same motivation wasn’t there in New York.
Navratilova clearly noticed it, and she’s not the only one. When asked about Djokovic’s future, the former WTA player admitted that "father time" might catch up to him, but ultimately, it mostly comes down to his motivation.
"He got the one he really wanted, which was the Olympic gold medal, but he also still wants that 25th, because then he has one more than Margaret Court. Father Time will catch up to him… and maybe it already is a little bit, because he really wasn’t himself in that last match."
"It depends how much the fire is still burning. If it’s still burning, I’m never going to say ‘you shouldn’t play’, because he’s never going to tarnish his legacy – it’s ridiculously good. “I’m sure his wife is saying: ‘it’s time to hang it up, how many more of these do you need?’"
With the Olympic gold, Djokovic has everything a player can win. There is nothing more to win, but there are a few records he would be happy to break. Having the most Grand Slams ever would be one of them, as he’s tied with Margaret Court at 24 right now.
It’s certainly within reach, but as Navratilova pointed out, if he wins his 25th major, he might not be motivated to continue winning anymore. Ultimately, Djokovic is the only one who knows how long he wants to keep going.
"Maybe just one more… but, then again, if he wins the Australian Open, he’s going to want to play Roland Garros and Wimbledon, right? He’s not going to quit then. It’s up to him. Either way, you can’t criticise because what a fantastic career. I would probably hang it up but if he loves, it why not?"
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