Novak Djokovic hasn’t won any trophies this year, and at 37, people are questioning his motivation.
He’s spent most of his career winning titles, rarely going half a season without one. This year is different; it wasn’t even a slow decline.
Aware that he’s closer to the end of his career than the peak, Djokovic knows he won’t stay competitive forever . Once he can’t compete at a high level, he’ll likely retire, as he’s hinted before.
His early-year struggles led to retirement questions. However, he’s improved recently and reached the Wimbledon final in 2024.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| rs Novak Djokovic | 37 | 8,360 | 18 - 6 |
Carlos Alcaraz dominated him in that final, but reaching it still matters. Yet here we are in July with no trophies for Djokovic. Last year was much better; he won multiple titles including three Grand Slams.
Motivation and Future:
Despite this dry spell, Djokovic seems motivated. He’s said so many times and Tracy Austin agrees. On the Tennis Channel’s Inside In Tennis podcast, Austin talked about his drive:
“At 37, he is the only one who can know how full his gas tank is and how motivated he is. He hasn’t won a title this year, which is insane…”
Fans might think it’s surprising that someone like him hasn’t won yet this year.
Djokovic isn’t thinking about retirement now and probably shouldn’t be. He’s admitted several times recently that he’s still driven to play on.
For Austin, that’s key: nobody knows what’s in his head or heart but him. As long as he loves tennis and stays competitive, he’ll want to keep playing.
Tennis fans just hope they get to see more of Djokovic’s greatness for as long as possible because players like him don’t come around often:
“I can’t answer that… The love of the game… play as long as we want; we love to watch you.”
What do you think? Should Djokovic keep playing?
