INDIAN WELLS: Novak Djokovic will be 41 before the Los Angeles Games, but the world number one says he has not ruled out competing for Olympic gold in 2028.
The 36-year-old Serb has won a men’s record 24 Grand Slam titles but has only managed bronze in four trips to the Olympics, although he will have another chance to improve his medal record at the Paris Games this summer.
“Everything is on the cards, I just don’t know how many cards I have left,” Djokovic said with a smile when asked about LA 2028 at an Indian Wells press conference on Thursday.
“It’s still a long way from thinking about the Olympics in Los Angeles, but of course the thought of it excites me. I’d love to play it, but… I can’t commit to it yet.” Djokovic said he would take things “year by year” to see how his body and motivation held up.
“It’s getting harder and harder, but I still love the sport and I’m still competing at the highest level,” he said. “I’m still number one, so at the moment I feel like I want to go on and try to make more history.”
Djokovic is seeking a record sixth Indian Wells crown after being unable to enter the US for the past five years due to travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He won the tournament three times in a row from 2014-2016, but lost in the third round to the now-retired German Philippe Kohlschreiber in his last appearance in 2019.
The top seed will face Aleksandar Vukic in the second round on Friday, and while there is no shortage of talent in the field, he will not have to face the other two members of the ‘Big Three’ – a trio that has dominated men’s tennis for two decades. .
With Roger Federer retired and an injured Rafa Nadal set to hang up his racket at the end of the year, Djokovic said things were different on tour.
“It’s great for our sport that we’ve had an amazing rivalry that has marked an incredible two decades,” he said. “With Roger retiring and Rafa not playing much at all, it’s a strange feeling.
“I’m trying to find a new opponent and I’ve had some great fights with (Carlos) Alcaraz and (Jannik) Sinner recently, but they still remain the two biggest rivals I’ve ever had.”
