Djokovic: “I will retire when the next ‘Big Three’ start to kick my butt”
The Serb made history in Turin by becoming the player with the most ATP Finals titles in history, overtaking Roger Federer.
He was doubted after losing to Jannik Sinner in their round-robin clash, but he came back stronger in the final to defeat the Italian. Novak Djokovic stole the show once again, this time at the ATP Finals, as he won the tournament for the seventh time in his career.
The world No. 1 didn’t look unbeatable during his first three games, as he needed three sets to defeat Holger Rune, tasted defeat against Sinner, and suffered to beat Hubert Hurkacz in his third match in this event’s edition.
However, Djokovic seemed to learn from his mistakes and came back stronger after that, defeating Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in straight sets to lift the trophy.
But the season is not over for Djokovic. He will now try to lead Serbia to win the Davis Cup title. His nation will face Great Britain this week.
Djokovic not thinking about retirement
The 36-year-old keeps making history in the sport and added another trophy to his amazing career. However, the Serb feels like he can keep winning and stated that he isn’t thinking about retirement unless the next Big Three start to prove too strong for him.
“[Holger] Rune, Alcaraz, and him [Sinner] are, you know, the big three, the next Big Three, if you want to call them. They’re going to carry this sport. I will hang on for as long as I feel like hanging on”, he said.
“As long as I’m able to still win against them on the big stage I’ll still keep going because you know, why stop if you’re still winning the biggest titles. But once they start to kick my butt, then I’ll consider having a little break or maybe a permanent break from professional tennis”, he admitted.
Djokovic, who has won all the majors except for Wimbledon this season, still has some goals to accomplish.
He tried to become the first player to win all four Grand Slam tournaments in the same campaign since Rod Laver did so in 1969, but Alcaraz defeated him at the All England Club last July in a five-set war.
The 24-time major winner will also try to add another major to his record and become the player with the most Grand Slam tournaments won in tennis history, as he’s now tied to Margaret Court.
Beating Jimmy Connors as the player with the most ATP titles or winning the gold medal in the singles category in the Olympic Games are another two great objectives for Djokovic.