"The way Novak Djokovic looks, he can do it 3-4 more years; it's hard to believe anyone can do it as well as he is doing at this age" - John McEnroe
American icon John McEnroe strongly believes that Novak Djokovic can stay at the top of the game for 3-4 more years, especially after the Serb beat Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the recently concluded Cincinnati Open.
Alcaraz and Djokovic dueled for nearly four hours on a hot and humid Sunday in Cincinnati, before the 36-year-old came out the victor after three exhausting sets. Marveling at how "amazing" the 23-time Grand Slam champion looked against his much-younger opponent, McEnroe was left impressed by how good Djokovic looks for his age.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion went as far as to say that he couldn't imagine anyone else being as good as Djokovic at the age of 36, hailing the Serb's achievements and fitness as "unprecedented."
"He looked amazing (in the Cincinnati final). It was extremely hot and was struggling with the heat. He somehow found a way. It's unbelievable that he is so good at this age," John McEnroe told Eurosport.
"The way he looks, it looks like he can do it 3-4 more years, the way he is going. It's hard to believe that anyone can do it as well as he is doing even at this age. It's unprecedented," he added.
"I always expect myself to play on a high level; I know the amount of work that I put in on and off the court to be where I am" - Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic addressed questions about how well he was playing considering his age during his time at the 2023 Cincinnati Open, saying that it was "not a big surprise" for him.
The World No. 2 made it clear that he expects to play at a high level every time he sets foot on a court, adding that he makes sure all his training sessions help him keep in line with that goal.
"I always expect myself to play on a high level. It's not a big surprise for me. I know the amount of work that I put in on and off the court in order to be where I am. So it's not a big surprise, to be honest," Novak Djokovic said in his press conference after the semifinals.
"It definitely feels great to come back to the hard court tournaments after February, actually the last time I played, already played finals of the one of the biggest events in the sport. Some really good performances this week," he added.
Following his title run in Cincinnati, the 23-time Grand Slam champion will be in action at the US Open next week. Seeded No. 2, he will look to win his fourth title in New York as well as a record-equaling 24th Major title (level with Margaret Court's all-time tally).