Novak Djokovic hopes to emulate Tom Brady, play beyond 40،
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Novak Djokovic said he has no plans to hang up his racket anytime soon and at 36, he hopes he can emulate American soccer great Tom Brady by extending his career well beyond of his 40th birthday.
Quarterback Brady played 23 seasons in the National Football League, winning seven Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before finally calling it quits at the age of 45 earlier this year.
World No. 1 Djokovic is preparing for the start of his 22nd season as a professional by playing an exhibition match against Carlos Alcaraz in Riyadh on Wednesday. He said he's already learned a lot from Brady.
“Tom Brady is a great example of a champion in his sport and someone who has had such a great career and such great longevity,” Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, told reporters in the Saudi capital. “He's put in a lot of hours and a lot of time taking care of himself, getting well, making sure that somehow every aspect of his body and mind is covered so that he can have a lasting and successful career.
“I know him personally and I've learned a lot from him, from his example, and I hope I can have a career that lasts until I'm 40 or maybe even beyond – let's see.”
Brady was in Djokovic's dressing room at Roland Garros in June to watch his friend win the French Open, one of three Grand Slam trophies the Serbian will win in 2023 along with the Australian and Olympic titles. US Open.
“I feel good in my body right now and I played very high quality tennis,” Djokovic said. “2023 was one of the best seasons I've had in my life and why stop when you're still playing really well? So I'm going to go ahead and take [each] year, one by one, and see how far I get.
Alcaraz beat the Serbian in a five-set thriller to win this year's other Grand Slam title at Wimbledon and Djokovic praised the 20-year-old Spaniard's rise to prominence, especially as Roger Federer took his retirement and Rafa Nadal begins his last season.
“Our era is coming to an end, but Alcaraz is emerging, which is great, and I was very happy to have played four very good matches with him this year,” Djokovic said. “Every game attracted a lot of attention, we had a lot of highlights and that’s good, it’s good for our sport.”
Djokovic will make his final preparations to win an 11th Australian Open title by representing his country at the United Cup in Perth and Sydney in the first week of the new year.
