Djokovic draws inspiration from LeBron and Ronaldo to extend his career
The tennis player Novak Djokovic revealed that he feels motivated by figures like LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo, with the aim of continuing his professional career until the age of 40.Djokovic, speaking at the Joy Forum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, before his participation in the Six Kings Slam, highlighted the inspiration he receives from athletes like LeBron James, who is still active at 40 years old, and Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as Tom Brady, who played until he was 40 years old. The 38-year-old Serbian tennis player has gone two years without winning a Grand Slam title, surpassed by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. However, Djokovic is not considering retirement, and seeks to obtain his 25th Grand Slam title to break the record for most individual titles in history. Djokovic’s comments contrast with previous statements after being eliminated from important tournaments this year. After losing in the semi-finals of the French Open, he hinted that it could be “the last match” at Roland Garros. After his defeat to Alcaraz in the semi-finals of the US Open, he lamented the difficulty of beating Alcaraz and Sinner in best-of-five-set matches. However, Djokovic has also expressed his intention to participate in all four Grand Slams in 2026, which would extend his career until at least 2027. Djokovic, co-founder of the Professional Tennis Players Association in 2020, also hopes to use his influence to improve the sport. The main players are pressuring the Grand Slams for a greater share of revenue, while the PTPA initiated lawsuits against tennis governing bodies earlier this year to push for changes.Longevity is one of my biggest motivations. I really want to see how far I can go.
Novak Djokovic
I want to live to see, to live in the sense of continuing to play professionally, what’s coming for our sport, and I’m very excited about it. There are things I can’t talk about openly at the moment, but in the coming years, I feel that tennis is a sport that can be transformed enormously, and I want to be part of that change.
Novak Djokovic
