Novak Djokovic is unlikely to retire in the next few years with tennis commentator Mats Wilander stating he probably “wants to prove to the world” that he can play until the age of 40.
Despite being just four months shy of 37, Djokovic remains the man to beat in tennis as he currently sits at No 1 in the ATP Rankings while he is gunning for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title.
He is also just two wins away from winning an 11th Australian Open trophy and earlier during the tournament he admitted that the “fire is still burning” and “I just want to play. I really enjoy the competition”.
But Father Time catches up with everyone and talk about Djokovic future has increased in recent years and seven-time Grand Slam winner Wilander was asked about the possibility of the Serbian retiring while still at the top, much like Pete Sampras did just over a decade ago.
Reflecting on Sampras going out on a high after winning the 2002 US Open, the Swede said on Eurosport: “Pete Sampras retired because he was sick of tennis I think, there’s a big difference.
“No, I think he’s going retire when he doesn’t feel like putting in the work.
“I think he will never lose the feeling and happiness of playing in front of 15,000 people. I think he will always enjoy that because he’s such a warrior out there. But I think for him when you start losing a little bit, that is what’s really, really important to these guys.
“But that’s not the reason they’re playing. They’re playing to be competitive and to challenge themselves. But that starts with getting up in the morning and doing the work. And when that is not fun anymore, I think that’s when Novak Djokovic will retire.”
Wilander is also of the opinion that the Serbian wants to prove that he can still be the best in the business when he turns 40 while he also feels Djokovic is better than he was 10 years ago.
He continued: “I think that’s not even close to being in the next year or two. Honestly, I think it’s most probably four or five years. And he’s most probably out there wanting to prove that to the rest of the world.
“But it’s kind of like [when] we flew to the moon. He was probably thinking, ‘I’m doing something for mankind here’, and obviously doing something for himself, which is making us realise that 40 is not what we think 40 should be in his eyes and his world.
“40 is just literally just a number. And in fact, I think he’s probably better now than he was when he was number one ten years ago.”
