Novak Djokovic determined to emulate longevity of Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James and Tom Brady - ‘They are inspiring me’
Published 16/10/2025 at 23:08 GMT+1
Novak Djokovic's future within tennis has been a hot topic of conversation in recent months, and the man himself spoke about his motivations to continue playing. The 38-year-old has won more Grand Slam titles than any other men's player, but is refusing to call it a day just yet. The Serbian may be in the twilight of his career, but is determined to add another trophy to his cabinet.
Watch: Alcaraz wows everyone at Laver Cup with mind-boggling drop volley
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Novak Djokovic expressed his desire to continue playing for as long as possible, following the paths of Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James and Tom Brady.
Djokovic has won 24 Grand Slam singles titles - more than any other men's player – and still has that same burning desire to win more honours before hanging up his racquet.
Part of that drive comes from seeing fellow sporting greats prolonging their respective careers into their 40s.
Ronaldo set a new record after reaching 41 goals in FIFA World Cup qualifying, while Brady announced his retirement in February 2023 after a career which included a staggering seven Super Bowls.
LeBron is set to become the first NBA player to play in 23 seasons once the new campaign begins this week.
As for Djokovic, he needs one more Grand Slam to move clear of Australian Margaret Court to claim the outright all-time record, but his last major win came at the 2023 US Open.
Nevertheless, the 38-year-old still managed to reach the latter stages of all four slams in 2025, making the semi-finals each time.
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Djokovic vows to ‘continue fighting’ after ‘tough’ Alcaraz defeat
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Jannik Sinner prevailed past the Serb in the last four at Wimbledon and Roland-Garros, with Carlos Alcaraz emerging victorious in the US Open semi-finals.
The Alcaraz and Sinner rivalry has seemingly replaced Djokovic's dominance of the sport, alongside Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
But Djokovic was largely upbeat when speaking at the Joy Forum in Riyadh, ahead of the Six Kings Slam exhibition tournament.
Djokovic said: "Longevity is one of my biggest motivations. 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. In the next couple of years, tennis is a sport that can be greatly transformed and I want to be part of that change.
"I want to be playing when we rejuvenate our sport and set the new platform that is going to go on for decades to come."
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Highlights: Sinner thrashes Djokovic to reach maiden final after Alcaraz gets better of Fritz
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The 38-year-old was subsequently eliminated from the Six Kings tournament after Sinner secured a 6-2 6-4 victory in the semi-finals, and the Italian will now face Alcaraz in the final.
Djokovic previously expressed how the emergence of Alcaraz and Sinner at the top of the sport has made his quest of winning another Grand Slam even more difficult.
The task of coming out on top in a gruelling best-of-five-sets match has been made even more challenging after a series of niggling injuries which have taken their toll.
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"I can do only as much as I can do," said Djokovic after losing to Alcaraz in the US Open semi-finals.
"It will be very difficult for me in the future to overcome the hurdle of Sinner and Alcaraz in best-of-fives at Grand Slams. I think I have a better chance in best-of-three, but best-of-five, it's tough.
"I'm not giving up on Grand Slams in that regard. I'm going to continue fighting and trying to get to the finals and fight for another trophy at least."
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