For tennis players at the peak of their careers, surpassing the age of 30 represents an undeniable challenge. Although advancements in areas such as training, nutrition, and recovery have prolonged careers, winning the most important titles in the sport at an advanced age is more difficult than ever.
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, for example, won their last Grand Slams at 36 and 35 years old, respectively.
Novak Djokovic, at 36 years old, added a new milestone to his impressive record, winning his 24th Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open. Furthermore, at 37, he completed his collection with the Olympic gold medal last summer. However, as he begins the clay court season, a month away from turning 38, Djokovic is aware of the difficulty of winning the major tournaments, which are played in the best-of-five-sets format.
Competition has intensified not only due to the emergence of figures like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who have dominated the last five and six of the last seven Grand Slam tournaments. For Djokovic, injuries have become more frequent, such as the hamstring tear that prevented him from continuing in the Australian Open in January. In addition, minor inconveniences, such as the eye infection he suffered in the Miami final last month, have complicated his performance.
The combination of her sporting career and her family life, with children aged 10 and 7, also represents an additional challenge.
I am trying to find a balance as I go. What I mean is to find a good balance between professional life and private life, and to be happy with what I do and how I do it, and still be able to motivate myself to keep going, not only in tournaments, but also in practice weeks, day after day. There is no doubt that it became more difficult [to maintain motivation] than it was throughout my career.
Novak Djokovic
Despite the difficulties, Djokovic has shown that, when he is at his best, he remains a formidable opponent. In Miami, he reached the final without conceding a set, which gives him the confidence to continue competing for the most important titles.
Djokovic, when asked about the possibility of retiring if he achieves his 100th ATP title and his 25th Grand Slam title this year, responded firmly.
No, I don’t think so. Who knows. We’ll see. I still feel like I have some fuel left in the tank. I feel that, as I have shown, in Australia and Miami, I can still play at a high level. And that gives me satisfaction to be on the court and compete. I know there is a group of people who think I should leave tennis at the top, which I understand. Many people thought I should retire after last year’s gold medal. But let’s see what the future holds. Of course, I would love to win. If you tell me that I will win my 100th title in any of the Slams this year, I will sign it immediately. But it’s a big mountain to climb, so, be a little more humble about it and hope for the best.
Novak Djokovic
It seems that the doubts have dissipated for the moment. “For other things, not so much,” said Djokovic. “But for tennis, currently, we are on good terms.”
