Novak Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam champion, has no intentions of retiring from professional tennis, drawing inspiration from the longevity of sports icons like LeBron James, Tom Brady, and Cristiano Ronaldo. The 38-year-old Serbian, currently ranked world number five, emphasized his motivation to see how far he can push his career, having reached the semifinals of all four majors this year.
Speaking at the Joy Forum in Riyadh, where he is competing in the Six Kings Slam exhibition event, Djokovic articulated his drive. "Longevity is one of my biggest motivations. I really want to see how far I can go," he stated. "If you see across all the global sports, LeBron James, he's still going strong, he's 40, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Tom Brady played till he was 40-something years old. I mean, it's unbelievable. They're inspiring me as well. So I want to keep going and that's one of the motivations I have."
Djokovic also expressed a keen interest in being an active participant in the future evolution of tennis. He shared his excitement about the sport's potential for transformation, stating, "I want to also live to see, live meaning still keep on playing professionally, to see the change that is coming for our sport. And I'm super excited about it. I feel like tennis is a sport that can be greatly, and will be greatly transformed. I want to be part of that change. I want to be not just part of that change, but I want to be playing when we kind of rejuvenate our sport and set the new platform that is going to go on for decades to come."
Despite recent Grand Slam exits to younger rivals Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic remains firm about his future. When asked if the emerging generation would need to beat him into retirement, his response was direct: "I'm sorry to disappoint them, it's just not happening."
Djokovic's last Grand Slam title came in 2023, but his consistent performance, including winning his 100th career title in Geneva this year, highlights his presence at the sport's elite level. His participation in the lucrative Six Kings Slam, where he faces Taylor Fritz in the third place match, after facing defeat at the hands of Jannik Sinner.
