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Novak Djokovic is the gift that just seems to keep on giving in men’s tennis. At 36 years of age, he continues to defy what most of us would consider even remotely possible in the sport. Of course, he recently won the 2023 US Open to push his Grand Slam tally up to 24 too. This puts Djokovic two clear in the overall Grand Slam race, and I cannot see Rafael Nadal catching him with 2024 set to be the Spaniard’s last season on tour. So really, his status as the greatest to ever play the game is well and truly cemented already, no matter which angle pundits try to take to dispute these claims.
Yet at 36 years old, there is also an inevitably to Djokovic’s career that it will end at some time in the coming years. However, thoughts on Djokovic’s retirement seem to only be on the minds of certain fans of the game. These thoughts certainly aren’t on the mind of Novak Djokovic himself, and if you look at where he is at right now, it’s totally understandable why. On that note, I will now discuss five factors that highlight precisely why Novak Djokovic’s retirement from the sport of tennis will not materialize in the near future.
Once I’m done running through these factors, I am inclined to say that most of you will agree with the opinion shared here too. After all, my opinion on why Djokovic won’t retire soon isn’t based on speculation, it’s based on cold hard facts. So let me now get the ball rolling.
Why Novak Djokovic will not retire from tennis in the immediate future
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There are many who believe that Novak Djokovic is not only the greatest tennis player who ever lived, but that he is the single greatest athlete the world has ever seen. Of course, that’s a bold claim, and for me, it’s tough to compare individuals across different sports. Nevertheless, nobody can take the quite remarkable records and career statistics away from Djokovic – whether you love or hate the guy.
Yet coming back to the main purpose of this post, which is why Djokovic won’t retire anytime soon, the following five factors will show why I expect him to push the boundaries even further before he hangs up his rackets.
He is a record chaser
Time and time again, Djokovic has been asked in interviews – are you bothered about the Grand Slam race? Now, I know that Djokovic has tended to play down the importance of this measure, especially concerning the GOAT debate, but deep down, we all know that this is a driving factor. He has been desperate to prove the doubters wrong for his entire career, and now that he could win the most Grand Slams of all time, I figure he won’t rest until this is done.
He is currently the world number one
Whenever pundits discuss Djokovic’s retirement, they often fail to recognize one huge detail – he is still at the top of the ATP rankings. Sure, guys like Alcaraz, Sinner, Rune, and others are right up there too, but Djokovic is still the king. This begs the question, why would he possibly want to retire when he’s still the best player in the world?
He is arguably playing the tennis of his career
Following on from his status as the number one player in the world, at the time of writing, he is in the form of his life. In fact, I would go as far as to say that Novak Djokovic is the absolute best version of himself at this very moment. Don’t forget, in his last two full seasons, which exclude 2020, he has won three slams and made the final of another. He’s only ever done that on one other occasion, which was back in 2015.
He is still winning the biggest trophies in tennis
Djokovic isn’t shy anymore about his focus and specific tennis goals at this point in his career. Understandably, he wants to win the slams, and these are his primary goals each and every season. And whatever he is doing, it seems to be working, as Djokovic has won 9 of the last 12 Grand Slam events he has competed in.
His incredible physical condition
Last but not least, the physical condition of this man for a 36-year-old is just out of this world. Djokovic regularly grinds out guys who are more than a decade younger than himself, and he gets injured far less than most other players. And if you compare Nadal or Federer’s physical status at this age, they weren’t even close to Djokovic, which leads me to believe he has several seasons left in the tank.
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