"My wife wouldn't be happy" - Novak Djokovic turns down hypothetical situation where he equals Rafael Nadal's French Open record by playing until 50
Novak Djokovic would rather retire and make his wife "happy" than be given the chance to eclipse Rafael Nadal's record of 14 French Open titles by playing until the age of 50.
Currently aged 36, the Serb holds most of the men's records already. With 400 World No. 1 weeks, 24 Grand Slam titles, a Triple Career Grand Slam, 40 Masters 1000 titles, seven ATP Finals trophies and many more, there is barely any record that has eluded Djokovic.
But one of the feats that is almost certainly out of his reach is Nadal's 14 titles at Roland Garros. Djokovic only has three to his name right now.
In a recent interview with Marca, the World No. 1 was asked if he would like to play until 50 if it meant he could break that particular record of the Spaniard. Joking that he would prefer not to make his wife Jelena too mad, Djokovic said he is satisfied with all the records he has and that he would happily retire now with all that he has achieved for himself.
"I don't know, I'm sure my wife wouldn't be very happy. I am very satisfied with everything I have achieved. I do not have to look at Rafa's record in Paris. I have many that I'm proud of and that are part of history. If I were to retire right now, I could only be happy and proud of what I've done," Djokovic said.
The 36-year-old then opened up about his chance of winning the Golden Slam next season (winning all four Majors and the Olympics), stating that he believes he is capable of doing it.
"Was it realistic to think I would win three of the four Grand Slams this year? Five years ago or even one or two years ago, I don't think people thought that was possible. I know myself and I know that if I feel good physically and mentally I'm capable of doing it," he said.
Novak Djokovic came very close to the feat in 2021, winning the first three Slams of the year and then reaching the final at the US Open. However, he fell to Daniil Medvedev in a shocking upset. At the Tokyo Olympics, he reached the semifinals before falling to eventual champion Alexander Zverev.
Novak Djokovic: "I don't want to sound disrespectful to my opponents, but I know who I am"
Novak Djokovic wanted to make it clear that his proclamation of being capable of winning the Golden Slam in 2024 should not be taken as disrespect towards his opponents. Instead, the Serb said it was a form of self-belief, where he knew who he was and what he could do once he set his mind to it.
"I don't want to sound disrespectful to my opponents. I know there are thousands of players fighting for the same goal, but I know who I am and I believe in myself," Novak Djokovic said.