Novak Djokovic has warned Rafael Nadal that he could keep playing at the highest level for many years to come after being inspired by NFL legend Tom Brady’s approach to recovery. Djokovic is currently leading Nadal in the race to end up with the most Grand Slam titles, with the Serb having won two more than his Spanish rival.
Nadal is widely expected to retire at the end of next year, meaning that he will only have a few more chances to add to his tally before calling it quits. Djokovic, however, has no plans to hang up his racket any time soon and is hoping to remain competitive for the foreseeable future.
The 38-year-old pointed to the influence of Brady in an interview with the Express Tribune, in which he explained that he is taking a similar approach to rest and recovery in a bid to prolong his career.
“Let’s see, you know,” said Djokovic, who was speaking before going up against Carlos Alcaraz at the Riyadh Season Tennis Cup. “Tom Brady is a great example of a champion in his sport. He’s somebody who has had such a great career and longevity.
“He has put a lot of hours, a lot of time, into self care and recovery, making sure that every aspect of his body and mind is covered so that he can have a long-lasting and successful career. I know him personally as well and I’ve learned a lot from his example. Hopefully I can have a career that goes to 40 or even beyond, let’s see.
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“I feel great in my own body and I’ve been playing some really high quality tennis. 2023 was one of the best seasons I’ve had in my life. Why stop when you are still playing great? I’ll keep going and take it one by one and see how far I go.”
It seems likely that Djokovic will end up with more Grand Slam triumphs than any other player, with the reigning US Open champion still widely regarded as the best in the world. He currently sits at the top of the ATP rankings after wrestling the position back from Carlos Alcaraz, who has also enjoyed a couple of brief spells at the summit.
Nadal is Djokovic’s closest challenger in terms of Grand Slam titles but the 37-year-old has not played for almost a year, meaning that he is unlikely to be competitive when he returns to action next month. He recently expressed his view that Djokovic is above him as the greatest player in the history of tennis, insisting that the numbers paint a clear picture of who is on top.
“I believe that numbers are numbers and statistics are statistics,” Nadal told Spanish outlet AS. “In that sense, I think [Djokovic] has better numbers than mine and that is indisputable. This is the truth. I think that, with respect to titles, Djokovic is the best in history and there is nothing to discuss about that.”
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