Why hasn t Djokovic retired yet?

If Djokovic retired tomorrow, his statistics would stop as the most successful tennis player of all time. But the last member of the "Big 3 " still playing does not want that day to happen. Djokovic recently affirmed his ambition to win another Grand Slam and even wants to attend the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

According to Tennis365, the two main reasons why Djokovic has not retired from his career are money and the ambition to conquer the Grand Slam again. By this time, Djokovic had pocketed more than 190 million USD in prize money, the most in history. Money may not be a problem for Nole, but the fact that he still participates in the friendly tournament with the highest prize money in the world, the Six Kings Slam, shows that the Serbian tennis player is not afraid to earn more.

Djokovic has participated in the Six Kings Slam for two consecutive years, pocketing tens of millions of dollars in prize money from Saudi Arabia, along with other perks related to businesses he owns or has shares in. Djokovic is about 9.5 million away from the 200 million USD bonus mark, and for someone who always likes perfection like Nole, that is an attractive goal.

Speaking of milestones, Djokovic's biggest motivation must be the 25th Grand Slam, something no singles player in history has reached. In fact, Djokovic is still capable of winning a major even though he is old and does not play often. He reached all four Grand Slam semi-finals this season, only losing to two outstanding juniors, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.

If Djokovic maintains his form in the next few years, he can lift the Grand Slam cup again because there is no guarantee that Alcaraz and Sinner will not decline or get injured. Djokovic needs a little luck at this time to overcome his two biggest opponents, while the rest of tennis is not his opponent.

The closest opportunity will come to Nole at the 2026 Australian Open - his forte major that he has won 10 times. This could be the best chance for the 38-year-old star to win his 25th Grand Slam and become the most successful singles player in this system..

Another seemingly unrealistic ambition of Djokovic is to win all four Grand Slams in the same year - something he missed in 2021 when he lost the US Open final. This is an achievement that his two rivals, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, could not achieve. In history, only Rod Laver captured the entire Grand Slam in the same year in 1969.

Achieving this in the Alcaraz - Sinner era is probably Djokovic's ultimate challenge. But it is also a motivation for the Serbian tennis player to continue participating on the track, instead of thinking about retirement.

Dovick's advantage is that he can still compete, unlike the case of the other two people in the "Big 3 ". Federer had to retire from tennis due to an irreversible knee injury. Similarly, Nadal could not escape the constant pain for many years. Andy Murray even had to play his final years with a metal hip.

Compared to them, Djokovic did not have many serious injuries. He is famous for taking meticulous care of his body, using a variety of methods to prolong his career. He also competes simply because he can compete with all the biggest opponents. In terms of scores, Djokovic is ranked 5th in the ATP, but for many experts he is number three in the world.

An additional reason for Djokovic to continue playing is the legacy he leaves behind for the next generation. He probably wants to reach Federer's retirement age of 41, or 1,557 matches like Jimmy Connors. The number of 103 titles of the Swiss legend is also attractive, when Djokovic has 100 championships. He is also only 9 ATP championships away from Connors' record.

In a recent post, Djokovic said he was inspired by sports stars around the world. They are Cristiano Ronaldo (40 years old), LeBron James (40), or Tom Brady (48).