At his pre-tournament press conference ahead of the Indian Wells 2024, Novak Djokovic spoke about his career’s future. He said it’s becoming ‘harder and harder’ to maintain the same level of motivation and passion. He also touched upon Rafael Nadal withdrawing from the ATP 1000 event on short notice.
Rafael Nadal’s last-moment withdrawal from the tournament inevitably came up. Novak Djokovic said the Spaniard really wanted to play but unfortunately could not. He mentioned Roger Federer’s retirement, saying that Nadal and he will also retire soon. He added that the end of their era was sad, but there were many records and moments that would keep their legacy alive (Metro).
“Roger finished his career, Rafa and I are probably not going to play much more. It’s a kind of one era to an end and it’s sad.”
Djokovic also addressed a reporter’s question about the possibility of playing in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. He said while he hasn’t ruled it out, the prestigious event is too far in the future for him to commit. About to turn 37 in a couple of months, the Serb would be 41 by the time the 2028 Olympics roll around.
“Everything is on the cards. I just don’t know how many cards I have left, you know. Let’s see. It’s still very far to think about – the Los Angeles Olympic Games. But the thought of it excites me, of course. Love to play that. As we know, the Olympics come every four years. I can’t really commit to that yet.”
Djokovic said he will gauge how his fitness and passion holds up over the coming years. He admitted it is not easy to remain motivated to carry on playing tennis like he has done for over two decades.
“I think I’ll take it year by year and just see how my body serves me; how passionate and committed I am really; how much motivation do I really have to do what I’ve done most of my life – day in, day out. It’s becoming harder and harder.”
His implication was he would play the 2028 Olympics only if he has the drive to do so four years from now. However, Djokovic said right now, he wants to keep going since he is still World No.1 and playing well at the highest level.
“But I still love this sport and still have been competing at the highest level and still No. 1, so I feel at the moment that I still want to keep going.”
Novak Djokovic faces Aussie challenge on return to Indian Wells
Djokovic will play his opening match of the Indian Wells 2024 on Saturday, March 9, not before 2:20 pm local time (5:20 pm ET). This will be the 24-time Grand Slam champion’s first fixture in the Californian desert since 2019. Chasing a record sixth title, he will begin his campaign against Aleksandar Vukic in the second round. He received a bye from the first round courtesy of being seeded first.
The SportsRush predicts Novak Djokovic to win in three sets. While it will likely be straightforward win for the Serb, he could be a bit rusty, not having played since his 2024 Australian Open semi-final exit. Do not expect Vukic to pull off a humongous upset, but the Aussie may take a set off as Djokovic works his way back to his best. The winner will face either Zhizhen Zhang or lucky loser Luca Nardi.
The conditions are expected to be cloudy with temperatures around 25°C.
