‘Novak Djokovic will run out of energy – but I would never bet against him’, says ex-coach and tennis icon

Ewan West 12 Dec 2024 10:04 AM

Andre Agassi and Novak Djokovic

Tennis legend Andre Agassi believes Novak Djokovic will “run out of the energy” required to remain at the top of the sport after the retirements of his greatest rivals.

Agassi, an eight-time Grand Slam champion who coached Djokovic, declared, though, that he “would never bet against” the great Serbian.

Djokovic‘s remarkable gold medal victory at the Paris Olympics was his only title of the 2024 season, while he was also a runner-up at Wimbledon and in Shanghai.

The 37-year-old finished the campaign as the world No 7 after amassing a 37-9 (80.4%) record from his 46 matches.

The Serbian played just 10 ATP Tour events, while he also competed in the United Cup and contested a single Davis Cup match. His season ended after the Shanghai Masters in October as he withdrew from the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals.

Djokovic won his 24th and most recent Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open — his third major of a stunning campaign.

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Agassi coached Djokovic between May 2017 and March 2018 during what was a difficult period of the Serbian’s career.

Djokovic did not win a Grand Slam between the 2016 French Open and the 2018 Wimbledon Championships as he struggled with motivation and an elbow injury that required surgery.

At an event in Bengaluru, Agassi discussed Djokovic’s longevity and gave his verdict on how challenging it will be for the 37-year-old legend to maintain his hunger.

“It’s hard to say, Father Time always wins. He’s already done so much, so long, and it’s hard to imagine longer. I think he’ll run out of the energy for it more than the capability of it, I would imagine,” the former world No 1 said.

“It cannot be easy, especially when the people you came to the dance with have left, that’s a big thing. When Pete [Sampras] retired, it was a blow to me. It set me back a little bit. It made me have to rediscover my inspirations on some level.

“And he (Djokovic) has lost the guys that he’s made history with. So, it’s probably emotionally going to get tougher and tougher quickly, but I would never bet against him. Bet against him at your own peril.”