Novak Djokovic’s former coach, Nikola Pilic, reckons the tennis superstar can stay in the world’s top five for another two years, hinting at when he might retire. Djokovic recently lost to Jannik Sinner in the Davis Cup semi-finals, ending a 21-match winning streak.
Despite this setback, Djokovic remains the world’s No. 1 tennis player according to ATP Rankings. And his old coach is confident that the 36-year-old can keep up his top-notch performance if he stays fit.
Pilic told Kurir: “It depends on his health condition, but in my opinion, if Djokovic is not injured, he has two more years of playing at the top level. If there are no injuries, he has two more years of playing among the top five tennis players.
“It doesn’t matter if he’s second or fourth. It’s important that he’s there. Knowing him and his professionalism and desire, there will likely be more than two, but I repeat, only Novak can know, and only he can decide how long he will play.”
Djokovic has previously made it clear that he won’t be hanging up his tennis racket until he’s no longer dominating the game. This came after his victory over American Ben Shelton at the 2023 US Open, a tournament he would eventually win. Djokovic triumphed with a score of 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (4) in a match that lasted two hours and 41 minutes, played under the roof of the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
After the match, Djokovic showed good sportsmanship by tapping his racket on the net as a friendly nod to Shelton. When asked about retirement during a press conference, Djokovic was full of confidence.
He spoke about his belief in his own abilities and his commitment to the sport. He also dismissed any surprise at his success, attributing it to maintaining his physical health and not letting age hold him back.
He said: “I don’t want to even consider leaving tennis or thinking about an end if I’m still at the top of the game. I will probably consider doing that if I get my a** kicked by young guys in Grand Slams in the years to come.”
Djokovic secured his eighth Year-End No. 1 ranking by winning a three-set match against Holger Rune at the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy.
Djokovic has previously held the Year-End No. 1 position in several years, including 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020, and 2021. He has now added 2023 to his list of achievements.
