Novak Djokovic shared remarkable plans with Serbia during a recent media conference. The 24-time Grand Slam winner, who recently moved to Athens, Greece, earlier said he felt more Greek even though he doesn’t speak the language well, faced online criticism from Serbians over his decision.
Responding to the public backlash, Djokovic said that although he doesn’t know what the future holds, he hopes to retire at the 2028 LA Olympics while representing Serbia. The 38-year-old withdrew from the ongoing Monte Carlo Masters due to injury concerns, marking the second consecutive Masters event he has pulled out of.
“All my life, my career, I’ve been planning for years what I want and how I want it to be. That’s why I achieved absolutely all possible goals. I said for the 2028 Olympics because I wanted to play for so many more years, and maybe to finish on the Olympic Games with the Serbian flag,” Djokovic said.
“That would be nice. Will I push until then? I don’t know. I really don’t know, because some things aren’t completely under my control. But I’m trying to be as healthy as possible both mentally and physically,” he added.
Novak Djokovic Expected to Resume Play on Tour in Madrid and Rome
After back-to-back withdrawals in Miami and Monte Carlo, the World No. 4 is scheduled to enter the main draw of two Masters 1000 events at the Mutua Madrid Open, followed by the Italian Open in Rome.
Djokovic has been highly successful at both claycourt events, winning the Madrid Masters three times and the Rome Masters six times, with his most recent triumphs coming in 2019 and 2022, respectively.
Djokovic missed out on achieving the historic feat of winning 25 Grand Slam titles after losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open final. Still, the Serb looks determined to keep contending for top titles on tour even as he approaches 40, a testament to his hunger, longevity, and dominance in the sport.
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