Novak Djokovic is hoping to emulate friend Tom Brady and play beyond 40 as he prepares for his 22nd season on the ATP Tour.
Djokovic opens his 2024 campaign with an exhibition game against Carlos Alcaraz in Saudi Arabia today before heading Down Under to challenge for an 11th Australian Open title.
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The 36-year-old has already claimed a record 24 grand slam crowns but is hoping for more by copying the longevity of former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Brady, who retired from the NFL earlier this year aged 45.
He said: “Tom Brady is a great example of a champion in his sport and someone that has had such a great career and longevity.
“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.”
“Confidence is growing!”
Novak Djokovic is still looking to make in the world of tennis! pic.twitter.com/dutKNcLD6u
— Eurosport (@eurosport) December 26, 2023
Alcaraz was the only man to beat Djokovic in a grand slam in 2023 – winning a classic Wimbledon final in five sets – and the Serbian is pleased to have a new challenger in the young Spaniard.
“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.”
