Novak Djokovic won’t consider retiring until he’s getting his ass kicked by young guys in Grand Slams: “It probably sounds cocky or arrogant but I’m not really surprised. I know how much work & dedication I put into trying to be in this position. I know I deserve this. I always…
(VIDEO) "Age is just a number": Djokovic confident in form ahead of US Open final
Tennis NewsSaturday, 09 September 2023 at 14:06
Novak Djokovic has said that he is as good as he has been for years ahead of the US Open final, despite being over fifteen years older than some of his main opponents.
After 23 Grand Slam titles and endless records, it might be assumed on paper that Djokovic's long career would be starting to slow down. However, in reality, the 36-year-old has displayed some of his best form throughout this season, winning the Australian Open and Roland Garros before making it to the Wimbledon final.
Now, he has also reached the final at the last major of the year in New York, where he is set to face 27-year-old Daniil Medvedev.
In the semi-finals, Djokovic went up against 20-year-old rising talent Ben Shelton, who was only 2 years old when the Serb won his first ATP match. The American player had a powerful serve and the home crowd on his side, but Djokovic still moved past him with relative ease, winning in straight sets.
Djokovic: I won't stop until a young guy kicks my a*s
During his post-match press conference, Djokovic spoke of his current form and his confidence in himself.
"It probably sounds cocky or arrogant but I’m not really surprised [that I won and made the US Open final]. I know how much work and dedication I put into trying to be in this position. I know I deserve this. I always believe in myself, in my own capabilities as a tennis player to be able to deliver when it matters. I’m not really surprised to be honest.
"I feel good physically. I’ve been as good as I’ve been in years and years. Age is just a number. That phrase is really resonating with me at the moment," he said.
However, Djokovic did give a slight insight into when he might consider ending his tennis career, although he stressed that this was not something he was considering doing at the moment.
"I don’t want to even consider leaving tennis or thinking about an end if I’m still at the top of the game. I’ll probably consider doing that if I get my a*s kicked by young guys in Grand Slams in the years to come in the earlier stages. Then I'll probably say ok maybe it's time to move on," he continued.
The biggest young challenge to Djokovic at the moment is 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, who denied the seven-time Wimbledon champion another title at this year's final. However, the two will not meet in a highly-anticipated US Open final after Alcaraz lost to Medvedev in the semis.
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