'I am sorry...' - Novak Djokovic makes bold claim about retirement

Novak Djokovic has failed to win any Grand Slam or Masters tournament this season.

Serbian tennis superstar Novak Djokovic has stated that he’s aiming to play more professional tennis and is ready to win a few more Grand Slam titles.

Earlier this year, Djokovic suffered a meniscus injury during his fourth-round match at the French Open. However, he underwent a successful surgery and returned to action at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, where he reached the final, eventually losing to Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets in only 2 hours and 28 minutes.

The Serb exacted his revenge at the 2024 Paris Olympics, defeating Alcaraz to win a long-awaited gold medal. However, that has been his only success this season, with the 37-year-old failing to win a Grand Slam or a Masters title for the first time since 2017.

He has, in fact, reached only two finals—Wimbledon and Shanghai Masters— apart from Paris Olympics this year, raising questions about a potential retirement on the horizon. However, the 24-time Grand Slam champion has revealed that he’s not planning to retire anytime soon.

Also Read: List of tennis players to achieve singles career golden slam

In a recent interview with Lanacion, Djokovic said, “I am sorry for those who want me to retire, but they will still have to see me for a little while longer. I feel I can win a few more Grand Slams.”

In the same interview, the Serb also talked about how faced problems winning against Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer during the late 2000s and early 2010s. The Serb won his first Grand Slam title in Melbourne in 2008. However, it took him three years to win his second Major title, the 2011 Australian Open.

Talking about the years dominated by Federer and Nadal, he said, “It took me three years to win my second Grand Slam, and I was No. #3 in the world for those three years. I was also No. #2 in 2009, and I was playing at a very high level, but I couldn’t win Grand Slams because of those two. They dominated everything.”

He added, “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.”

With Nadal announcing his retirement from professional tennis, earlier this year, Djokovic is set to become the only active member of the ‘Big Three’ on the tour.

He concluded the interview, “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 here (mind), I could somehow figure out the Grand Slams and start winning more. And that’s what happened.”

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