Star Tennis player Novak Djokovic, who made history on Sunday at the Paris Olympics 2024 by defeating Carlos Alcaraz to claim a maiden Olympic gold, opened up on his retirement plans.
The 37-year-old Serb added a much-awaited Olympic gold to his 24 Grand Slam titles after an enthralling 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/2) victory in the blockbuster final at Roland Garros.
Novak Djokovic became only the fifth player in the history of the sport to win all four Grand Slam tournaments and Olympic singles gold, joining Andre Agassi, Rafael Nadal, Steffi Graf and Serena Williams.
He also became the oldest singles champion since tennis returned to the Olympics in 1988.
Speaking at the post-match ceremony, Djokovic was asked about his retirement since the Serb has completed Tennis by completing the “Golden Slam”.
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The 37-year-old, in response, shared that he has no plans to retire any time soon and will participate in the 2028 Olympics, scheduled to be held in Los Angeles.
“Look, I still, I want to play in Los Angeles. I enjoy playing for my country in Olympic Games particularly and Davis Cup. It’s something that, being part of a team…”
“He’s [coach Viktor Troicki] making fun of my calendar goals, playing in Los Angeles. I don’t know if he’s laughing because he thinks it’s unrealistic or he’s like, okay, another four years with this guy.”
Djokovic burst into tears after finally getting his hands on an Olympic Gold and celebrated by holding aloft the Serbian flag on the court before clambering into the players’ box to embrace his wife and children.
“We almost played three hours, the final shot was the only moment when I was sure I could win the match,” said Djokovic, who had lost heavily to Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final last month.
For the unversed, Novak Djokovic now has 99 singles titles alongside 24 Grand Slams to his name amid his decorated career, which puts him past the likes of Roger Federer with 20 Grand Slams and struggling Rafael Nadal with 22.