Novak Djokovic has fired out a warning to his rivals in an extensive interview that saw him open up on a host of big issues.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion has gone through a year without winning a major title for the first time since 2017, sparking suggestions that he may be close to calling time on his record-breaking career.
Yet in an extensive interview with La Nacion, the 37-year-old suggested he does not feel close to the end of his career as he insisted there was more titles for him to win at the top of the sport.
Djokovic has won 99 career titles and will be eager to move on to 100, while he will also want to claim a 25th Grand Slam title to move past Margaret Court and become the player with the most major titles in tennis.
These goals may be driving him on heading into 2025 and he confirmed his ambition to win again burns brightly as he looks to defeat young guns Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
“Deep down, I still feel like I have a few more Grand Slams to win,” he stated. “That’s what drives me to keep going, to feel like I can still do it, and to play the Davis Cup for Serbia.
“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.”
Djokovic also spoke about his rivalry with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, as he reflected on the moment the balance of power shifted in their battles and he started to take control.
“It took me three years to win my second Grand Slam and I was No 3 in the world for those three years,” he said.
“I was also No 2 in 2009 and I was playing at a very high level, but I couldn’t get to win Grand Slams because of those two. They dominated everything. I didn’t have the formula to beat them. I was able to win one or two matches against them, but not the important ones.
“Those three years were crucial for my development. They made me hungrier to win, especially against them. I knew that if I could find a way to be like those guys in the big matches, and I knew a lot of that came from the mind, I could somehow figure out the Grand Slams and start winning more. And that’s what happened.
“I am proud to have been part of it all. Before 2011, I was unable to win Grand Slams because of their presence; they dominated the entire circuit. Those years, between 2008 and 2011, were crucial for my growth.
“They fueled in me a greater hunger for victory, especially when facing them.”
As always, Djokovic’s interviews make for compelling viewing, with his reflections of life in war-torn Serbia when he was growing up a harrowing phase of his life.
Yet those experiences helped to build the champion who has dominated the tennis landscape for so long and it appears he is still inspired to win more titles before the end of his career.
