Novak Djokovic will run out of energy during the last stage of his tennis career, according to his former coach, Andre Agassi.
Agassi, like Djokovic, is the legend of the sport. He is an eight-time singles Grand Slam champion and a former ATP World No. 1. On top of that, he also has experience in the coaching world, having worked with the Serbian legend before.
Now, he mostly spends time away from the tennis courts, occasionally appearing at a pickleball exhibition. Still, he follows matches and the latest developments on the Tour, especially when it comes to Djokovic.
The Serbian player ended the 2024 season with only one title, which was the Olympic gold medal. He didn't expand his collection of majors, and with every year, it will be more difficult for him.
At 37, Djokovic is almost two decades older than some of his rivals, and even though he's done an exceptional job at making sure he could compete for longer than many of his rivals, even he's not invincible.
At one point, the 24-time Grand Slam winner will also start feeling the effects of the age, and that time will come sooner than later. Some would argue it already happened.
Agassi is aware of this as well. Speaking at a recent event, according to Tennis365, the former American player discussed what Djokovic's last years on the ATP Tour might look like.
The four-time Australian Open champion believes Djokovic won't lose his skill, but he will start running out of energy against the younger rivals, which will ultimately cost him match wins.
"It’s hard to say, Father Time always wins. He’s already done so much, so long, and it’s hard to imagine longer. I think he’ll run out of the energy for it more than the capability of it, I would imagine."
On top of that, Agassi is aware of another factor that might impact Djokovic in his last years in tennis. With Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal now retired, he lost his two biggest rivals.
Agassi knows this feeling well, having gone through the retirement of Pete Sampras, who was his great rival. He admitted that after Sampras' retirement, it took him some time to rediscover his motivation again.
“It cannot be easy, especially when the people you came to the dance with have left, that’s a big thing. When Pete [Sampras] retired, it was a blow to me. It set me back a little bit. It made me have to rediscover my inspirations on some level."
It wouldn't be surprising to Agassi if the same thing happened to Djokovic. Still, he warned against betting against the 37-year-old Serbian, as he's proven time and time again that he can defy the odds.
"And he (Djokovic) has lost the guys that he’s made history with. So, it’s probably emotionally going to get tougher and tougher quickly, but I would never bet against him. Bet against him at your own peril."
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