Novak Djokovic has already learned a lot about Tom Brady, the star who recently retired from the NFL. And after observing him, the tennis player wants to emulate the quarterback.
Djokovic, 36, hopes to do the same as Brady, who played well into his 40s.
The Serbian tennis player holds a record of 24 Grand Slam titles, but shows no signs of losing strength with age. He is set to go for a record 11th Australian Open title next month.
And while Roger Federer is retired and Rafael Nadal missed much of the 2023 campaign due to injuries, Djokovic hopes he has several more years at the top.
After all, Brady, who was in Djokovic’s box to witness his victory in this year’s French Open final, won his seventh Super Bowl ring at age 43.
“Tom Brady is a great example of a champion in his sport, someone who has had a great career with longevity,” Djokovic said during an exhibition match in Saudi Arabia. “He has dedicated many hours and time to taking care of himself, to recovering, to making sure that all aspects of his body and his mind are covered, in order to have a long-lasting and successful career.
“I also know him personally and I have learned a lot from him, from his example. Hopefully I can have a career that extends to 40 years or beyond. We’ll see”.
Djokovic is coming off a season in which he won three of the four Grand Slam trophies. He lost the Wimbledon final in five sets to his new great rival, the Spanish Carlos Alcaraz.
The Serb fell again to Alcaraz on Wednesday in Riyadh, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, but said before that exhibition match that he has high expectations for next year.
“I feel great about my body now and I have played very quality tennis,” said the number one in the ranking. “2023 was one of the best years I have had in my life. Why stop when you’re still playing well? “I’m going to keep going and take it one year at a time, step by step to see how far I get.”
2023-12-29 07:24:34
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