Novak Djokovic said he sees no reason to retire from tennis given that he is motivated to compete and capable of beating the best players in the world.
The 38-year-old Serb defeated defending champion Jannik Sinner in a thrilling semi-final at the Australian Open in January before falling to world number one Carlos Alcaraz in the final, proving he continues to be a force on the sport’s biggest stages.
“It was an incredible feeling to be able to beat Sinner in five sets in one of the epic matches I played in recent times in Australia, and then have another great match with Carlos, who was too good in the end,” Djokovic told reporters at Indian Wells.
“For me, that has been a phenomenal result. I have proven to myself primarily and to others that I can still compete at the highest level and beat these guys,” he said.
“My logic is why not keep going as long as I have that fire and flair and quality and the motivation to do that.”
The 24-times Grand Slam champion said he enjoys picking and choosing his schedule, which revolves mostly around the four Grand Slams and tune-up events. He also makes space for the Indian Wells tournament in the California desert, where he is a five-time champion.
I’m still competitive, I still have that edge and I’ll keep on going as long as I feel like it
— Novak Djokovic
“I really enjoy the thrill of competition,” he said. “I enjoy getting out there in front of the fans and being competitive. Still number three in the world, so I don’t think it’s too bad in terms of the ranking and results and performances.
“I’m still competitive, I still have that edge and I’ll keep on going as long as I feel like it.”
Djokovic suggested Serena Williams could see Wimbledon as the ideal venue to return to tennis if the 23-times Grand Slam champion decides to make a comeback to the game later this year. The 44-year-old American has not played since the 2022 US Open, after which she said she was “evolving away from tennis”, but fuelled speculation about a potential return after re-entering the sport’s anti-doping pool last year.
“I think she’s coming back. I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to her, but I guess the sentiment is that she’s coming back,” Djokovic said. “I pick that one [Wimbledon] as well as her comeback, but don’t know. I think she might play a doubles tournament or two with Venus. That would be nice to see, from my point of view and for tennis fans.”
Djokovic said having one of the game’s most dominant figures back in action would be a welcome sight. “She’s one of the greatest athletes,” he said. “It would be great to have her back.”
Tennis Channel analyst Prakash Amritraj said Williams would have to get some warm-up events under her belt before making a return at an event such as Wimbledon, where she won seven Grand Slam titles.
“Maybe there’s a world where she is gearing up for Wimbledon,” he told Reuters. “But I don’t think she would just rock up and play it. She definitely needs to get some matches in before playing. Maybe there are some warm-up tournaments.
“On the lighter side, if she’s doing it, I got my wish list card for Serena-Roger [Federer] mixed doubles at the US Open.”
Williams’ former coach Rick Macci recently commented on the speculation and said her impressive training regimen pointed towards a comeback.
Reuters
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.