“How long can Novak Djokovic fight an unequal battle with the inevitable?”

Novak Djokovic said he will play until he is at least 40 years old. According to the famous tennis player, he follows the example of his friend, American football star Tom Brady, who entered the field until he was 45 years old. Will Djokovic be able to stay at the top of the tennis Olympus for so long? Kommersant FM sports commentator Vladimir Osipov looked into it.

Djokovic is no longer just a star – he is a legend. In 2023, he won three Grand Slam tournaments, setting many records. Right now the Serb holds the record for victories at the main tennis competitions on the planet. He won 24 titles and became the first tennis player in history to win the so-called Career Slam three times. This is when an athlete wins all Grand Slam tournaments once.

But it seems that this is not enough for Djokovic. He states that he is ready to play until he is 40 years old and even beyond. The Serbian is now 36. He will turn 37 only in May 2024. This means that he is going to be on the court for at least three more seasons. But the famous tennis player Yevgeny Kafelnikov, who himself was the first racket of the world, is confident that Djokovic will only play if he continues to win:

“You need to understand what is important to him. Fame as the world’s leading tennis player or just playing for fun. Of course, both options are acceptable.

For me, everything was focused on the rating, winning tournaments. I think it’s the same with Novak Djokovic. As soon as he feels that he can no longer compete with the young ones, he will end his career.

And as long as he wins everything, why not continue?”

In addition, despite numerous victories in all major tournaments, Novak Djokovic does not have a single title that he dreams of winning, said tennis columnist for the Kommersant publishing house Evgeniy Fedyakov: “His main goal is the Olympic Games. This is the only title in tennis that Novak Djokovic does not yet have. And if he wins the Olympics, then we’ll see how motivated he will be to follow his life principles over the coming years.”

So at the Paris Olympics in 2024, Djokovic’s performance will be a hotel show that the world will be watching. However, no matter the outcome, the Serb will remain a great and wealthy athlete, because, among others, he holds another record – the most prize money in a career. This amount is an impressive $180 million.

And this is not all of the star’s income. If we add advertising contacts to the prize money, then the total amount of earnings for Djokovic’s career will easily reach the level of $500 million. In addition, the Serb is being pressed by young talented tennis players, such as 20-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, who, by the way, earned many less than Djokovic.

And whether the Serb will be able to resist the pressure of the young people is unclear. After all, over the years, even the most gifted shadow players lose something without which it is impossible to be at the top – speed. Evgeny Fedyakov is sure of this: “Can Novak Djokovic remain as fast a player as he is now? The speed decreases with age, and this is a critical factor.”

In addition, it is older tennis players, and athletes in general, who are more likely to be injured. For example, it was a knee injury that forced the end of the career of another great tennis player, Roger Federer, who seemed to be playing forever. But, unfortunately, nothing is eternal in the world of sports. And now we can only observe how successful and how long Djokovic will wage this unequal battle with the inevitable.

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