By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, October 16, 2025
Photo credit: US Open Facebook
In the race for exceptional achievement, Novak Djokovic sees opportunity rather than the finish line.
Grand Slam king Djokovic recognizes the New Two—Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner—as roadblocks to his Grand Slam title pursuit.
However, Djokovic says he’s driven to see how far he can go and suggests he has no intention of shutting down his career in 2026.
Speaking at the Joy Forum in Saudi Arabia, the 38-year-old Serbian superstar cited veteran athletes from other sports—including Tom Brady and LeBron James—as inspirations he draws emotional fuel from in aiming to continue his career at age 40.
“Longevity is one of my biggest motivations,” Djokovic said at the Joy Forum. “I really want to see how far I can go. If you see across all the global sports, LeBron James he is still going strong, he is 40, Cristiano Ronaldo, Tom Brady played until he was 40-something years old, it is unbelievable.
“They are inspiring me as well, so I want to keep going, that is one of the motivations I have and then I want to also live to see, live meaning keep on playing professionally, what is coming for our sport and I am super excited about it.”
The owner of 100 career championships, Djokovic defeated Alcaraz in the best-of-three-set Olympic gold-medal match to capture the gold medal for Serbia in August of 2024. Alcaraz and Sinner have combined to collect eight straight Grand Slam championships with Djokovic’s last major crown coming at the 2023 US Open.
Speaking in Riyadh ahead of his Six Kings Slam appearance, Djokovic suggested he plans on continuting competing for another two years in what he envisions will be a transformative time for tennis.
“These are things I can’t be openly speaking about at the moment but I feel in the next couple of years, I feel like tennis is a sport that can be greatly transformed and I want to be part of that change,” Djokovic said. “Not just part of their change but I want to be playing when we kind of rejuvenate our sport and set the new platform that is going to go on for decades to come.”
While there is speculation Djokovic could shut down his season after the Six Kings Slam to train for a shot at his 25th Grand Slam championship at the 2026 Australian Open, he has not yet made a definitive statement about his schedule.
Some, including former doubles No. 1 and ESPN analyst Rennae Stubbs, believe the 2026 AO could be Djokovic’s final major.
The 10-time Australian Open champion has repeatedly said he’s not about to abandon his quest for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam championship as of now.
“I’m not giving up on Grand Slams in that regard, having said that. I’m going to continue fighting and trying to get to the finals and fight for another trophy at least,” Djokovic said. “But, you
know, it’s going to be a very difficult task.”
One reason the four-time US Open champion continues to push himself is passion: Djokovic said both his love of competition and the love he receives from fans fuel his competitive fire.
“Yeah, I still enjoy the thrill of competition,” Djokovic said. “Very thankful for that. Yeah, that’s one of the biggest reasons why I keep on going.
“The love that I’ve been getting around the world has been amazing the last couple of years.”
