Djokovic inspired by LeBron and Brady: He wants to play until 40

Djokovic draws inspiration from LeBron and Ronaldo to extend his career

The tennis player Novak Djokovic revealed that he feels motivated by the careers of LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Tom Brady, which drives him to continue competing professionally and to project his career until the age of 40.

Longevity is one of my biggest motivations. I really want to see how far I can go.

Novak Djokovic

Djokovic, who will participate in the Six Kings Slam, highlighted the relevance of figures like LeBron James, who is still competing at 40 years old, and Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as the case of Tom Brady, who played until he was 40. “They also inspire me, so I want to move forward, that’s one of the motivations I have,” he stated. Despite not having won a Grand Slam title in the last two years, and having been surpassed by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, Djokovic is not considering retirement. His goal is to win his 25th Grand Slam title to break the record for the most individual titles in the history of tennis. Djokovic’s comments contrast with the statements he made after being eliminated from some Grand Slams this year. After his defeat in the semi-finals of the French Open, he hinted that it might have been “the last match I played” at Roland Garros. After losing to Alcaraz in the semi-finals of the US Open, he lamented that he might not be able to beat Alcaraz and Sinner in the five-set format of the majors. However, he has also expressed his intention to play all four Grand Slams in 2026, which would extend his career at least until 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 in an effort to force changes. Djokovic concluded: “I want to live to see, live in the sense of continuing to play professionally, what is coming for our sport, and I am super excited about it. These are things that I cannot talk about openly at this moment, but in the coming years, I feel that tennis is a sport that can be greatly transformed, and I want to be part of that change.”