Novan Djokovic (R) shaing hands with Tom Brady (L)
- Novak Djokovic vows to keep playing “great” tennis past 40.
- He reflects on winning three Grand Slams.
- Djokovic applauds Carlos Alcaraz’s rise.
The 36-year-old Serbian player Novak Djokovic revealed on Tuesday that he is eager to follow in the footsteps of American football icon Tom Brady by playing well until his 40th birthday.
Before retiring this year at the age of 45, quarterback Brady played in 23 seasons of the National Football League and won seven Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brady was also praised by world No. 1 Djokovic, who is preparing for his 22nd professional season by facing Carlos Alcaraz in an exhibition match on Wednesday in Riyadh.
“Tom Brady is a great example of a champion in his sport and someone that has had such a great career and longevity,” the 24-time Grand Slam champion told reporters in the Saudi capital.
“He has put a lot of hours and a lot of time into self-care, into recovery, into making sure that in a way every aspect of his body and mind is covered so that he can have a long-lasting, successful career.
“I know him personally and I learned a lot from him, from his example, and hopefully I can have a career that goes up to 40 or maybe even beyond – let’s see.”
Brady saw his pal win the French Open at Roland Garros in June from Djokovic’s box. The French Open is one of the three Grand Slam titles the Serbian won in 2023, together with the Australian and U.S. Open titles.
“I feel great in my own body right now and I’ve been playing some really high-quality tennis,” Djokovic added.
“2023 was one of the best seasons I’ve had in my life and why stop while you’re still playing great? So I’ll keep going and take (each) year, one by one, and see how far I go.”
In an exciting five-set match, Alcaraz overcame the Serbian to win Wimbledon, the other Grand Slam of the year, and Djokovic applauded the 20-year-old Spaniard’s ascent.
“Our era is coming to an end, but you have Alcaraz emerging which is great, and I was very happy that I had four very good matches with him this year,” Djokovic said.
“Each match attracted a lot of attention, we had a lot of great highlights and it’s good, it’s good for our sport.”
In order to be ready for his 11th Australian Open title, Djokovic will be playing for his nation in the United Cup in Perth and Sydney during the first week of January.
