Novak Djokovic has admitted he is writing the final few chapters of his career and his emotions over the next few weeks could be crucial to deciding when he retires.
After achieving his last great goal in tennis by winning the Olympic gold medal with a win against Carlos Alcaraz in the Paris 2024 final earlier this month, what comes next is a question Djokovic will be asking as he prepares for the final months of this year.
After struggling for motivation and slipping to some surprise defeats in the first half of this year, Djokovic bounced back into form as he performed heroically to come through some tight matches at the French Open.
His run at Roland Garros was ended by a knee injury that required him to undergo surgery on June 5, but he made a remarkably quick recovery to play at Wimbledon and reach the final, where he lost against Alcaraz.
Djokovic then bounced back to serve up some passionate performances and claim the Olympic gold medal for Serbia allowed him to complete his record of claiming every major title in tennis.
“I thought in 2012, carrying the flag of my country in the opening ceremony was the best feeling an athlete could have – until today,” the 24-time Grand Slam winner said.
“This supersedes everything that I imagined and hoped I could experience and feel. The fact I won the bronze in my first Olympic Games and ever since then failed to win a medal despite playing in three semi-finals, I couldn’t overcome that obstacle.
“Now, at age 37, I beat a 21-year-old that is probably the best player in the world right now. When I take everything into consideration, this is probably the biggest sporting success I’ve had in my career.
Djokovic’s declaration that he now has everything he could ever need from his tennis career inspired questions over how long the greatest player of them all would continue to play at the highest level.
He has openly admitted that playing in ATP Masters series events is no longer driving his ambition and with the Olympic dream no longer on his horizon, what more can Djokovic aim for?
This is a player with more Grand Slam titles than any male in tennis history, who has been world No 1 for more than two years longer than anyone else, so what is left for Djokovic now?
He could extend his lead in the Grand Slam title race and target an eighth Wimbledon title to equal Roger Federer’s all-time record next summer, but that achievement would not define his legacy.
Djokovic has won his battle with Rafael Nadal and Federer to be etched into the record books as the greatest tennis player of all-time and with the Olympic dream complete, he admits there are doubts over what comes next.
“It’s complete,” he said of his career. “I completed all the achievements with this gold medal, but I love this sport. I don’t just play only to win the tournament.
“I play because I love the competition, training my body, perfecting my game. This sport has given me so much in my life and I try to give back to the sport with dedication and the sacrifice I put on the court when no one else is watching.
“I do it as hard as any young player out there, so these successes are no accident.
“I don’t know about the future. I have worked very hard, sacrificed a lot to get to this moment. Now it’s about happiness, joy and celebration.”
Djokovic will need to get back onto hard courts imminently as he prepares to defend his US Open title, but he will not play in any warm-up events after pulling out of the Toronto and Cincinnati Masters events.
The Serbian has proved time and again that he cannot be written off in any tournament, but Alcaraz and world No 1 Jannik Sinner appear to have been a step ahead of him over the course of 2024 and for the first time in many years, Djokovic may not arrive in New York as US Open favourites.
Beating Alcaraz in a best-of-three-set match that meant more to him than any other in recent years is an achievement he will cherish forever, but can Djokovic still win a Grand Slam against the young guns snapping at his heels?
The great man himself will get some answers to that dilemma when he steps on court at the US Open for the first time because if his motivation wanes for a second on the biggest stages in tennis, even the great Djokovic will be swept aside by his youthful rivals.
If Djokovic steps back on the court and does not feel the drive and passion to continue to strive for perfection, he won’t wait for too long to accept he sport he as loved and completed has given him all he needs.