Novak Djokovic gives big schedule hint as he addresses retirement rumours
Novak Djokovic’s break from tennis looks set to come to an end in a fortnight with the world No 1 confirming he intends to play at the next big event on the calendar while he also all but confirmed he plans to compete for a few more years.
The 24-time Grand Slam winner is the first to admit that he hasn’t been at his best so far this season as he hasn’t won any titles in 2024 with his win-loss record standing at 11-4. He has also opted to skip several popular tournaments including the Miami Open and this week’s Madrid Open.
But the tennis great has made it clear that he plans to play a reduced schedule this year as his main goals are the three remaining Grand Slams and the 2024 Paris Olympics at Roland Garros.
His decision to only focus on the big events this year has raised questions about future, but he indicated at the Laureus World Sports Awards that he plans to return to the Madrid Open next year.
“Hopefully next year, since I am young and have a lot of time left, I can play,” he told AS. “I am preparing my body for Roland Garros, Wimbledon, the Games and the US Open, the most important block of the season for me.”
The Italian Open is the final big clay-court event left before the French Open and the seven-time Rome champion has indicated he will feature.
The Serbian added: “I intend to play in Rome. This year has been different, I have not had my best level of tennis.”
READ MORE: Novak Djokovic claims prestigious award in front of Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz
The grass-court season gets underway immediately after Roland Garros, but Djokovic traditionally doesn’t play any warm-up events before Wimbledon.
The grass-court major is followed by the Olympics in Paris before the North American hard-court swing gets underway in August.
Djokovic’s dream is to win gold for his country at the Olympics and he will do just about anything to achieve that goal. If he doesn’t fulfil that dream at this year’s Paris Games then he will give the 2028 Los Angeles Games a go.
“I think about it and I believe it’s possible, if I didn’t think about it I wouldn’t play. You always have to believe that everything is possible in life,” he said.
“Who knows if I will have the opportunity to play in other Games. I said I want to play in Los Angeles 2028, but you never know at this stage how far you can go.”
