Why Novak Djokovic’s last appearance at the Olympics may hasten his retirement
Novak Djokovic has posted a clip of him looking at Olympic medals with an envious eye, before putting his hands together in prayer as he looks to end his long wait for a gold at Paris 2024.
There has been plenty of discussion over how important the Olympics are to tennis players who have just finished playing at Wimbledon and are already looking forward to the US Open.
Yet Djokovic has left little doubt that he is motivated to win the big prize in Paris, as he looks to join his rivals Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray on the list of gold medal winners at the Olympics.
Djokovic begins his bid for Olympic glory with a meeting against Matthew Ebden and a huge clash against his old foe Nadal is possible in the second round.
Olympic gold is the only piece of silverware missing from Djokovic’s impressive trophy cabinet, something he is aware of ahead of a “huge challenge” at Roland Garros.
“Winning gold is definitely one of the biggest dreams,” he said.
“Approaching an Olympic Games is always a huge challenge for me because I put extra expectations and pressure on myself.
“They’re familiar sites, Roland Garros is somewhere I played just two months ago, so I know those courts very well. I’m hoping I can perform at my best and get to the medal match.”
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Djokovic’s passion to claim Olympic gold is driven by his desire to win the one prize missing from his remarkable tennis CV.
If he can win gold for Serbia in Paris, Djokovic will have every title he could wish for in tennis and that could be a trigger that brings his retirement from the sport forward.
Djokovic has admitted he has been struggling to find motivation to compete in the sport’s lesser tournaments in recent months, with his focus now entirely trained on adding to his record total of 24 Grand Slam titles and the Olympic gold he craves.
If Djokovic stands on the top step of the podium in Paris, questions will be asked about whether he will have the passion to fight on for more in the sport, but he has insisted retirement thoughts are not in his thoughts right now.
“I don’t have retirement close in my mind, to be honest, even though I know a lot of people would love me to retire,” he added.
“I think as long as there is at least one of us left in the competition, I think the era is still going.
“Of course there is a change of generations, (Carlos) Alcaraz and (Jannik) Sinner, currently they are two of the best in the world, deservedly.
“They are playing at a very high level. They’re very young and they are going to carry the sport in the future.
“I’ve been present for the shift of many generations in the last 15 years, I like to see that, but I think it’s also great I’m still able to play.
“Of course the end is nearer than the beginning, I know that. I still enjoy competition and I’ll keep going until I don’t enjoy it any more.”
Djokovic may not call time on his tennis career if he wins a gold medal at Paris 2024, but it will tick off one of the final challenges in his career.
If the opening half of 2024 is a guide to what motivates Djokovic at this stage of his career, he needs targets to fire his motivation and once the Olympic Games are over, one of his last big goals will also be gone.