Novak Djokovic knows new career after tennis as Serb lets slip retirement plans

Novak Djokovic hinted tennis retirement may not be far off as he revealed a lengthy list of what he plans to do when he finally hangs up his racket

Novak Djokovic has revealed his long list of plans post-tennis retirement as he admitted he is struggling to keep pace with his young rivals.

The Serbian great, 37, is still going strong and memorably claimed Olympic gold in Paris this summer. However, despite remaining a force in the game, the 24-time Grand Slam winner has been usurped by Jannik Sinner, 23, and Carlos Alcaraz, 21, in the world rankings.

The pair have split this year’s Grand Slams between them, while world number one Sinner proved too strong for Djokovic in the recent Shanghai Masters final. Djokovic has suggested he could still be playing by the time the LA Olympics roll around in 2028, by which time he will be 41.

However, more recently, he has hinted retirement may not be far off, admitting the challenge posed by his younger peers. He told Sportal: “I think I belong to that old guard that maybe can't handle the youth anymore. Changes are definitely coming, it's a natural process and it's been talked about for several years.

“We have young guys now, but we also have a generation that is in between, [Alexander] Zverev, [Daniil] Medvedev, [Stefanos] Tsitsipas. These are all guys who either were or are now in the top 10, Medvedev was number one.

“They will be around for a while with the younger ones. However, I assume you mean Sinner and Alcaraz. Over the last 12 months, the two have developed an incredible rivalry and that's what's really catching people's attention. People may not follow tennis as such, but everyone follows great rivalries.”

Djokovic has a long list of things he wants to achieve post-tennis. On top of his many business interests, he wants to dabble in music, acting and possibly even comedy once he hangs his racket up for good.

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He added: “I am interested in many things. I still want to learn to play the saxophone, to really learn. A few years ago I played decently for a while, but then I became bad because I didn't practice enough and regularly.

“I would like to learn to sing, to play some instruments. Saxophone is number one, but I would like to learn to play the others as well. I would like to learn and act in the theatre, I love the theatre. Theatre above all, but I also like movies.

“I prefer live interaction though. I love comedy and try to pick up some tricks from friends who are actors. I would like to start painting and drawing and making things.”

Addressing his wide business interests, he said: “I'm also very passionate about things related to health, recovery, I'm interested in sports science, biotechnology... It's a big list of things that I'm interested in, some of my investments are in those fields and I'm trying in different partnerships to develop brands.

“My team and I try to bring everything together to make a group of strong brands. I would like to expand my brand beyond tennis, beyond philanthropy, into the world of business, wellness and more.”

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