Novak Djokovic Delivers Blow To Rest Of Men's Tennis By Laying Out Plans To Pull A Tom Brady, Play Well Into His 40s
Bad news for every men's tennis player on Earth: Novak Djokovic has announced his plans to take a page out of Tom Brady's playbook and play into his 40s.
Djokovic, 36 and World No. 1, is someone who has never lacked motivation but as he's certainly on the back end of his career he's turning to his friend Brady and his 23-season career in the NFL to keep moving forward.
Ahead of an exhibition match against Carlos Alcarez that will mark the start of his 22nd season as a professional, Djokovic talked about emulating Brady and playing up until he's 40-years-old and maybe beyond.
“He has put a lot of hours and a lot of time into self-care, into recovery, into making sure that in a way every aspect of his body and mind is covered so that he can have a long-lasting, successful career," Djokovic said about Brady.
“I know him personally and I learned a lot from him, from his example, and hopefully I can have a career that goes up to 40 or maybe even beyond - let’s see.
“I feel great in my own body right now and I’ve been playing some really high-quality tennis,” Djokovic continued.
Novak Djokovic has plans to play beyond 40 years old. (Photo by Francis Gonzalez/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Brady played up until he was 45 years old, and while it may seem borderline insane to imagine a 45-year-old continuing to be toward the top of the tennis world some 9 years from now if there is one man to do it, most would bet on Djokovic.
While he's had plenty of memorable seasons throughout his career, his latest may have been his best with victories at the French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open.
“2023 was one of the best seasons I’ve had in my life and why stop while you’re still playing great? So I’ll keep going and take (each) year, one by one, and see how far I go," Djokovic added.
The 24-time Grand Slam single's winner will turn 37 years old in May.