Diego Schwartman had a brief chat with Novak Djokovic as the Serb told the retired Argentine that he was still competing because he wanted to "keep the young guys running."
Schwartzman, who was one of the best players from South America in the last decade, retired last February by playing in front of his home fans in Buenos Aires.
Although the 2020 French Open semifinalist has walked away from competing in pro tennis, he still remains deeply connected to the game as he also visited Turin for the ATP Finals before going to Australia.
Going into the 2026 season, one of the main questions being posed was how much longer Djokovic would stay in the game. And after meeting his former rival, Schwartzman seemingly asked the 38-year-old himself the question.
“Novak is still here! I saw him in the locker room, he said to me, ‘I’m here, because I want the young guys to keep running on the court!” the former four-time ATP champion said on Australian Open's Pod Laver Arena podcast.
Schwartzman on if Djokovic can win the Australian Open
Djokovic's track record at the Australian Open is well-documented as the Serb is a record 10-time champion at Melbourne Park. Also, he owns a record of 24 Grand Slam titles.
But with the impressive rise of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, Djokovic didn't win any Slams in the last two seasons. Schwartzman isn't ruling out the possibility of the current world No. 4 putting another triumphant Slam run, but also acknowledges that Alcaraz and Sinner are the main characters.
“It’s difficult to say, but I think Sinner and Alcaraz right now are a few steps ahead of the rest. They showed unreal tennis last year. “I went to Turin, and I saw their level, it’s another step (ahead). But I don’t know, the Australian Open, for many, is the first tournament, so it’s so difficult to play the first tournament. But these guys always do well, so let’s see," Schwartzman explained.
Djokovic plays against Pedro Martinez in the Australian Open first round.
