Jimmy Connors: "I hope Novak Djokovic plays and can play until he is 40"
American tennis legend Jimmy Connors has expressed his desire for Novak Djokovic to continue playing tennis well past the age of 40.
To be 36 years old and at the top of his game after amassing a staggering 23 Grand Slam titles is nothing short of remarkable. In addition to his unmatched tennis talents, Novak Djokovic is known for the tenacity and determination that he has carried throughout his journey thus far.
On his son Brett's podcast, "Advantage Connors," Jimmy Connors recently previewed the US Open and touched on a wide range of issues.
Referring to this year’s Wimbledon as well as Cincinnati Open finals between Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, Jimmy Connors expressed his amazement at the fact that younger players like Alexander Zverev or Stefanos Tsitsipas aren't able to put up a show as thrilling like Novak Djokovic can at his age.
“Here’s what’s amazing, it takes a 36-year-old guy to make it amazing," Connors said. "You know.. that to me is the big part of it. You know, where is Zverev, where is Tsitsipas, where are they? It takes a 36-year-old guy, you know, to make that happen and for me, I love that because you know playing long is wrong?No, playing long is right."
He further highlighted that Djokovic will be doing the sport a service if he continues playing until 40, saying that the Serb will inspire younger players and generate interest in the sport. The American legend also suggested that apart from Carlos Alcaraz, there’s nobody in sight to take up the mantle of pushing the boundaries of the sport.
“I hope he plays, and can play until he’s 40, you know, at that level because all that does is create the interest in the youth coming up," Connors said. "Alcaraz, you know, who’s after Alcaraz? You know in another two or three years, who’s after him?"
From the looks of it, Djokovic can certainly play for a couple of years more at the top of the sport.
Novak Djokovic does not want to disrespect his opponents
Ahead of his US Open opener, Novak Djokovic has said that he is not thinking about a match up against Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the Grand Slam. He believes this would be disrespectful to his next opponent, despite there being a very high chance of him making it to the final and possibly meeting Alcaraz again in a rematch of their Wimbledon and Cincinnati Open final.
“I think it’s also, in a way, disrespectful to your next opponent if you’re already thinking about your finals match up. Even though I’ve had tremendous success, maybe you could argue that I could start thinking about later phases and stages in the tournament," Djokovic said.
While fans are yearning for another epic match between Djokovic and Alcaraz, the Serb is clearly remaining focused on what lies in the immediate future.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion will face Alexandre Muller in his first round at Flushing Meadows, someone he has never faced before in his career.