Novak Djokovic has ‘cheated age,’ according to noted tennis coach Brad Gilbert, who sees him competing at the highest level for at least two more years.
Two more years would get Djokovic close to 40, which would be an incredible age to compete at, but we’ve seen it before, as previously, Roger Federer competed at that age. It’s not unthinkable to see Djokovic play at that age either, but a few things need to happen for that to be possible.
Djokovic, of course, has never really struggled with motivation, but after winning the Paris Olympics, the Serbian looked far from his best when competing at the 2024 US Open, where he lost very early.
It wouldn’t be fair to call it a lack of motivation because he made the trip and committed to playing, but many have wondered whether the Serbian will keep the passion.
For now, he’s been able to do that. A tennis player and any athlete must be fully committed to playing and doing the work necessary to stay competitive. Djokovic needed to be even more dedicated as he got older because age was not on his side.
Another factor will be his health. This year saw him deal with an injury, the first one in a long time, which will also be crucial. If he can’t stay healthy, he won’t remain competitive.
Finally, it matters what the other players will do. Some of them are slowly starting to catch up with him, making things more challenging. Even so, the Serbian has ‘cheated age,’ according to Brad Gilbert.
The American coach firmly believes in that because of what the 24-time major winner was able to accomplish this year. He outplayed a far younger player in tricky conditions to win the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Paris.
That should be nearly impossible for someone who is 37, but it happened, and it happened solely thanks to how well Djokovic has maintained his body over the years.
With that in mind, Gilbert could easily see Djokovic contend for Grand Slam trophies for at least two more years. He could even see a third year happening for the Serbian because he’s been that good.
Many things must happen for that to be possible, but it’s not impossible. Even if it was impossible, it would be strange to question Djokovic because his career has been nothing but proving people very wrong about their assumptions about it.
“If you had told me that he wouldn’t win any Grand Slam titles this year, I would have been shocked. I thought he would win two, maybe even more.”
“It will be interesting to see what he does in the fall – if he doesn’t play much, he will fall down the list, and he will be in a slightly more difficult position from that aspect. I expect Novak to be a candidate for titles at eight more Slams, i.e. in the next two years.”