Novak Djokovic is set to end a calendar year without a major for the first time since his injury-riddled 2017. The Serb’s lone title of the year is the Paris Olympics; that also marks his fewest of any season since his first year on the senior tour in 2005.
The 37-year-old’s diminishing ability to rack up titles has led to chatter of his retirement, with many hoping to see him leave on a high rather than being forced to quit due to injuries.
Djokovic, though, does not share the same vision for his retirement and feels “sorry” for anyone who thinks he should walk away.
“Deep down, I still feel like I have a few more Grand Slams to win,” Djokovic told La Nacion. “That’s what drives me to keep going, to feel like I can still do it. Tennis is still my biggest voice for sharing the messages that interest me the most. I still enjoy the process and everything it gives me. Maybe some people think I should retire with the Olympic gold, on a high. Others, on the contrary, think I should keep going as long as I’m a candidate for the Grand Slams. I’m leaning towards the latter.
“Maybe I’ll change my mind soon, but now I feel like I want to keep going. I feel sorry for those who want me to retire, but I still have some time left.”
In recent years, Djokovic’s contemporaries, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal, were forced to retire after their bodies gave up on them. Fearing that the same could happen to “The Joker,” tennis legend Chris Evert predicted in August that he could retire if he wins his record-breaking 25th major at Flushing Meadows, as he’d have nothing left to achieve, especially after winning his elusive Olympic gold medal.
That prediction didn’t come true, as Djokovic suffered a shocking third-round loss at the U.S. Open. Besides the 25th major, which will help him break the tie with Chris Evert for most slams, Djokovic has one more feat to tick off his bucket list: a 100th ATP title. He nearly achieved it last week before falling to Jannik Sinner in the finals in Shanghai.
