Djokovic does not plan to stop: "I can always be better than yesterday"

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Novak Djokovic has already forgotten Wimbledon 2026 and is already thinking about the US Open 2026. Just one week after his elimination in the semifinals of the London Grand Slam at the hands of Jannik Sinner, the Serbian has crossed the pond and is already in New York, even though there is still more than a month before the start of the New York major.

His presence in the United States is due to the promotion of his documentary with Amazon Prime, set to be released on August 20. Taking advantage of the occasion, he made an appearance on the CBS morning show where he discussed his age, physical condition, the importance of his family, and his desire to play in the US Open.

“I can always be better than I was yesterday”: @DjokerNole is one of the greatest athletes of all time, but he told @gayleking that he’s aware of how his body responds differently now that he’s been playing elite tennis for more than two decades.

Djokovic shared about scaling… pic.twitter.com/fC4Ja6TiaF

— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) July 17, 2026

Novak Djokovic doesn't think about his 39 years when playing tennis

One of the first questions posed to the 23-time Grand Slam champion was about his age, something the Belgrade native tries to think about as little as possible: “I am thinking about playing great tennis, and really, if I'm not thinking about it, people remind me. If people don’t remind me of my age, then my body reminds me, and you're just trying to leverage every percent of energy you can to still compete at an elite level against young players.”

However, he is fully aware of his physical limitations and recalled what happened at Wimbledon after his five-hour and fifteen-minute match against Félix Auger-Aliassime in the quarterfinals: “The body responds differently, and that's just biology. The wear and tear of over 20 years at the highest level is taking its toll, and it takes me longer to recover. After those quarterfinals of five hours and fifteen minutes, I just couldn't recover fully for the semifinals and wasn't as fresh as I wanted, but without taking credit away from Sinner, who won and took the tournament.”

With the grass court season behind him, what looms ahead is the North American hardcourt swing, where Djokovic is entered in the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati before heading to the US Open, an event he has won four times: “What I most look forward to at the US Open next month in New York is competing at the highest level. My biggest competition, as always, is myself.”

“The US Open is one of the four Grand Slams, and I think it's the most entertaining and exciting, in addition to having the largest stadium in our sport. I can't wait. One of the main reasons why I still compete is the energy from the crowd and the appreciation and respect I've received, especially in recent years around the world, something I can't thank enough for. It means a lot to me,” said the current world No. 7 in the ATP rankings.

The Balkan also spoke not only about tennis but also confessed how strange and difficult it was to play tennis in Serbia in the 90s: “I was four years old when I started playing tennis. No one in my extended family had ever touched a racket before. We don’t have a tennis tradition in Serbia, we didn’t have one up until that point. And then I got interested. I watched this sport and then started. I fell in love. I asked my father to buy me a racket, and that's how the whole love story with tennis began.”

Djokovic admitted that playing tennis reminds him of his past self, specifically when he was a child: “I connect it to my childhood, my upbringing, a country devastated by war, several wars during the 90s, embargoes, economic crises, social crises, crises of all kinds. I chose the most expensive sport, and my parents wanted to support me.”

A decision that had direct repercussions on his family: “I have two younger brothers who also wanted to play tennis and really did not receive the kind of support I was getting. My parents felt bad about it, but it was the kind of decisions they had to make. So I made a promise to myself that I was going to reward my parents and brothers so they could have the best possible life. But here we are in 2026 because all that work has brought me to where I am now.”

He also took the opportunity to show the deep love and affection he has for his wife: “My wife has been a pillar. She has been very understanding. It would be very difficult to do what I do without her support and managing the entire household, in addition to emotionally taking care of our children. When I'm away and miss some important events in their lives, it's tough. But she keeps supporting me so I can live my dream. I also want to balance that. That's why I don't play as much as before now because I want to be the best husband, father, brother, and son possible.”

As he concluded his appearance on the television program, he delivered a clear message: “I feel like I have something to prove. There is always something to prove to myself first and to others, but, above all, to myself, that I can always be better than yesterday. I feel that too. I can always be better than yesterday,” stated a Novak Djokovic who is already thinking about his next goal: US Open 2026.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Djokovic no piensa parar: "Siempre puedo ser mejor que ayer"