Novak Djokovic Reveals What Will Convince Him To Retire From Professional Tennis
News
Novak Djokovic said during a recent interview that his father questions why he is still playing tennis. The 24-time Grand Slam also outlined what would convince him to hang up his racket.
Djokovic hopes to win an 11th Australian Open title at this year's tournament in Melbourne. His 10 triumphs at the season's opening Grand Slam are already a record, regardless of how he performs this year.
The Serbian prepared for the Australian Open by competing at the Brisbane International. He won his opening two rounds comfortably before being stunned by the big-serving Reilly Opelka in the quarterfinal.
Although Djokovic plays in fewer tournaments than earlier in his career due to being 37, he usually plays at an event before the Australian Open to help him adjust to the hot and humid conditions in the country.
Despite not going as far as he would have liked in Brisbane, Djokovic's form during the Australian Open's fan week has been impressive. He defeated Carlos Alcaraz 7-5 in a practice set after serving better in the critical moments.
In an interview with GQ, Djokovic recently told Alcaraz that it was too early for him to discuss making history, something the Spaniard has done many times. Losing the practice set to the Olympic gold medalist might remind the Spaniard to stay focused.
Djokovic also defeated Alexander Zverev in an exhibition match during the fan week. His new coach, Andy Murray, watched him against Alcaraz and Zverev and seems to have slotted in quickly to his former rival's team.
The former ATP world No. 1 is the most statistically successful player in tennis history and has also won every significant honor in the sport. That raises questions about why he continues to compete.
In the same interview with GQ mentioned above, Djokovic admitted his father has made attempts to get him to retire despite understanding why the tennis legend wants to continue competing.
"I don't know if he's going to be happy with me saying this, but my dad has been trying to retire me for a while now. He understands why I keep going, but he's like: 'What else do you want to do?'"
Djokovic was specific about what would likely cause him to retire. The seven-time Wimbledon winner thinks he can still compete for Grand Slams, but he will probably end his career when that is no longer the case.
"If I start to lose more and feel there's a bigger gap, that I face more challenges in overcoming those big obstacles in Grand Slams, then I'll probably call it a day."
While many fans understandably worry about when Djokovic will retire, the Serbian is more focused on how he will step away from professional tennis. The 37-year-old corrected himself when he mentioned thinking about when his career would end.
“I am thinking about how I want to end it and when I want to end it. No, actually, I take that back. I think more about the 'how' than the 'when.'"
Roger Federer's ending at the 2022 Laver Cup with Nadal and Djokovic present was widely viewed as a perfect send-off. By contrast, many were disappointed with Nadal's retirement ceremony at the Davis Cup Finals. Carlos Moya called it shabby.
