“The real question is…” Patrick Mouratoglou predicts how long Novak Djokovic can play at the highest level

Novak Djokovic still has chances to end 2024 as the World No.1 despite not winning any of the first three Grand Slam events.

“The real question is…” Patrick Mouratoglou predicts how long Novak Djokovic can play at the highest level

Patrick Mouratoglou and Novak Djokovic (Credits: Imago/X)

Tennis great Novak Djokovic has won everything there is to win in the sport. The 24-time Grand Slam champion captured his elusive gold medal at the Paris Olympics, beating Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets.

After ticking every box in his trophy cabinet, the big question everyone is asking is: What else is left for Djokovic to accomplish? Although the Serbian hasn’t given any indication of retiring just yet, Serena Williams’ ex-coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, has shared his thoughts on the matter.

YouTube video
I think Novak can still play 3 or 4 years at the highest level. The real question is about his motivation. I think he really struggled with motivation until the Olympics. Everybody felt like it was the end for Rafa, Novak felt it too. For sure, it hit his motivation really hard. But after that, Rafa came back on clay, his level was good and I think this gave extra motivation to Novak.
Patrick Mouratoglou said on his Instagram story

Djokovic had been chasing the Olympic gold medal for the majority of his career. Prior to the Paris Olympics, he reached the medal rounds three times but only ended up with a bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

FS Video
Sinner started to play great. Alcaraz again, I think it touched his ego, and he came back really strong and finally won the title that he was chasing his whole career, which was a gold medal at the Olympics to complete his collection of trophies. So what's gonna happen now in the future? He's in great shape, he plays unbelievable tennis. He's ready to compete, I think, 2, 3, 4 years at the highest level.
Patrick Mouratoglou said

After completing his trophy cabinet, many drew parallels between Djokovic’s success and that of soccer great Lionel Messi. The Argentine legend was also chasing the elusive FIFA World Cup trophy for most of his career, which he finally achieved in 2022 in Qatar.

But he needed this competition between him and Roger and Rafa to be the greatest. The only confrontation he can have now is probably Carlos and Jannik pushing him, beating him, him feeling his ego touched and wanting to show that he's still great.
Patrick Mouratoglou added
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Novak Djokovic’s chances to regain the World No.1 ranking in 2024

Novak Djokovic was the World’s No.1 tennis player until late May. The Serbian legend withdrew from his Roland Garros quarterfinal due to a torn meniscus he sustained in the earlier rounds.

Novak Djokovic 1
Novak Djokovic (Image via Imago)

As a result, Jannik Sinner leapfrogged Djokovic to become the new World No.1. The Italian has maintained his ranking since then, despite not being at his best. Due to Sinner’s inconsistency, the battle for the World No.1 ranking is heating up between him and Carlos Alcaraz.

However, Djokovic faces a challenge as he will lose 1000 points this week after withdrawing from Cincinnati as the defending champion. This gives both Alcaraz and Sinner a boost. The Serb is scheduled to play in the US Open next, where he is also the defending champion.

Moreover, the Olympic gold medal win, as historic as it was, doesn’t add any points to the ATP rankings due to the updated rules. Therefore, Djokovic’s chances of regaining the World No.1 ranking are extremely low.

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