As his tennis contemporaries move towards retirement, Novak Djokovic recognizes that his own tenure on the professional courts is not infinite. Before his first-round match against American Mackenzie McDonald at the French Open, Djokovic participated in a ceremony honoring Rafael Nadal, a 14-time champion, who retired last November. With Nadal’s departure, Djokovic remains the last of the ‘Big Four’.

Recently, Djokovic achieved his 100th career title at the Geneva Open, a victory crucial for momentum after struggling in four of five preceding tournaments. He aims to increase his Grand Slam tally to 25 at this year’s French Open.

“You start to maybe doubt your game,” Djokovic remarked regarding his recent lackluster performance. “You don’t want to be in that state of mind going into Grand Slams.”
“Honestly, I was thinking about my end of the road as well yesterday when we were watching Rafa having his speech,” he admitted. He reflected on conversations with Federer and Murray as they reminisced about their intense rivalries. While proud of his achievements, Djokovic couldn’t help but feel sadness about their departures, as they were significant motivators throughout his career.

Despite these thoughts on retirement, Djokovic noted that he is not preoccupied with a specific date to end his career: “I didn’t think about the exact date, if that’s what you’re looking for.”