After the retirement of Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic is the only member of the ‘Big Three’ still active. Although the Serb admitted in recent weeks that “a big part of me has gone with them,” which left the door open to a short-term retirement, Djokovic has cleared up some doubts by referring to his next big sporting goal during an interview on the YouTube channel ‘Neuspjehprvaka’.
In this sense, Djokovic said that “the only thing I have in my mind right now, the only thing that motivates me, is the Olympic Games in 2028 in Los Angeles. Also representing my country and the Grand Slams, but especially the Games.” With 24 Grand Slams in his career and 100 ATP titles, Novak is the current Olympic champion, after defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the final in Paris, 7-6(3), 7-6(2). In 2028, he will be 41 years old.
Despite falling in the last semi-final of Roland Garros against Sinner, in what could have been his farewell to the clay of Paris, the Serb said that “I love tennis and I still love to wield the racket. The kid in me who fell in love with tennis is still there, I still feel that connection. If I didn’t have that passion and desire to compete I wouldn’t be playing, but I still like to go out on a court to win.”
The child in me who fell in love with tennis is still there, I still feel that connection
He also recalled some of his worst moments, such as the one he went through in 2016. “I had won everything and I felt empty,” he explained. “After Paris, I felt obliged to go to Wimbledon, but I didn’t really want to. I lost to Querrey after three rain breaks. During the break, I felt a total sense of emptiness, as if for the first time everything had stopped. That crisis lasted until 2018, I had to regain my hunger.”
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