Nick Kyrgios has his say on how much longer he thinks Novak Djokovic will play tennis.
The Serbian has been part of the ATP Tour for over 20 years and he has broken numerous records and played in many classic matches during that time.
The 38-year-old has established himself as a sporting legend and he has nothing left to prove, especially after finally clinching the Olympic gold medal in Paris last summer.
With the continued rise of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner and having not won a Grand Slam since 2023, things are becoming progressively harder for the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
Nick Kyrgios disclosed a conversation he had with Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells
Novak Djokovic has stressed the main reason he is still playing tennis is to win more Grand Slam titles.
His last major came at the 2023 US Open, and he has made just one Grand Slam final since, Wimbledon in 2024.
In fact, the only title Djokovic has won in the last two years is the Olympic gold medal and the Geneva Open in May.
The days of Djokovic’s dominance now appear to be behind him. But as he battles to achieve success at the highest level again, Nick Kyrgios is struggling to understand why Djokovic is still playing.
He asked Djokovic about his future in the game at the Indian Wells Masters in March, and the former world number one’s response was telling.
“I think he’s got to be finished soon. Like, come on, what more? I asked him this at Indian Wells this year. We were in the locker room and I said ‘why are you here? Why are you playing?’ He just goes ‘I don’t know’”, Kyrgios told Patrick Mouratoglou on the UTS Talk Show.
“I go ‘what about your kids, I know you want to spend time with your family’. He said ‘yeah, I don’t know’. That was the first time I think he misses his family a lot. I stay in touch with him all the time.
“I can’t see him playing for more than another year. Not again. Not the whole year again. He is so professional. I am just speaking from my experience if I had a family like his and kids.
“It’s like Andy Murray. It’s like you play your whole career and then you retire and you don’t spend any time at home, you just go straight into coaching again. If I was his partner I would be so angry!”
“I can’t see Novak playing for much longer and he said it’s his last French Open, right? Basically. I can’t see him playing for much longer, especially as he’s not winning the slams any more. If he won a Grand Slam maybe.”
Novak Djokovic continues his pursuit of 25 Grand Slam titles and becoming the oldest major winner
Djokovic is facing a big challenge to try and win a 25th Grand Slam title. He is currently tied with Australia’s Margaret Court on 24 and this is yet another record he has set his sights on.
But there is another record Djokovic would break if he were to lift a 25th Grand Slam title, and that is becoming the oldest winner at this level.
Ken Rosewall was 37 years and two months old when he claimed the 1972 Australian Open, and he has since said he would like to see Djokovic break his record that has stood for more than 50 years.
“Either way, I wouldn’t mind, but Novak, you know, he deserves his record, what he has. He’s won more Grand Slams than anybody else, so another one wouldn’t hurt,” Rosewall said.
“For me, it was just one of those things. I mean, I stayed playing tennis and that’s what kept me playing well and kept me feeling well.”
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