Tennis gold medalist Novak Djokovic celebrates during a welcoming ceremony at the Belgrade City Hall on August 12, 2024. (Photo by PEDJA MILOSAVLJEVIC / AFP)
Novak Djokovic says that defending his Olympic title at LA 2028 – when he would be 41 years old – has become his primary motivation to continue competing, marking a significant shift in priorities for the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
“The only thing that at this moment, professionally speaking, I have in my vision is the Olympics of 2028 in Los Angeles,” Djokovic told former Croatia football international and manager Slaven Bilic in an interview published on Olympics.com.
READ: Djokovic wins his first Olympic gold medal, beats Carlos Alcaraz
“And playing for the national team and Grand Slams… but not even the Grand Slams, not as much as the Olympics.”
The 38-year-old Serbian’s Paris 2024 victory over Carlos Alcaraz in the final completed his collection of every major accolade in tennis, including all four Grand Slam titles, the Davis Cup, ATP Finals and every Masters event — a career “Golden Slam” that had eluded him until that point.
If successful in Los Angeles, Djokovic — currently ranked fifth in the world — would join Britain’s Andy Murray as the only players to defend an Olympic singles title.
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