Novak Djokovic said he sees no reason to retire from tennis as he is still motivated to compete and is capable of beating the best players in the world.
The 38-year-old Serbian defeated defending champion Jannik Sinner in a thrilling semi-final at the Australian Open in January, before falling to world number one Carlos Alcaraz in the final, proving he is still a force on the sport’s biggest stages.
“It was an incredible feeling to be able to beat Sinner in five sets in one of the epic matches I played recently in Australia, and then have another great match with Carlos, who was simply better in the end,” Djokovic told reporters in Indian Wells.
“For me, that was a phenomenal result. So I proved to myself and others that I can still compete at the highest level and beat these guys,” he said.
“So my logic is: why not continue as long as I have that drive, talent, quality and motivation to do so?”
The 24-time Grand Slam champion said he enjoys choosing his calendar, which mainly revolves around the four Grand Slams and warm-up events. He also makes room for the Indian Wells tournament, in the California desert, where he is a five-time champion.
“I really enjoy the thrill of competition,” he said.
“I still like getting on the court in front of the fans and being competitive. I’m still number three in the world, so I think it’s not that bad in terms of rankings, results and performances,” Djokovic said.
“I’m still competitive. I still have that edge, and I’ll keep going as long as I feel like it.”
