Ronaldo inspires Djokovic

"Persistence is one of my biggest motivations. I really want to see how far I can go, " Djokovic said when attending the Six Kings Slam, in Saudi Arabia on October 16. "If you look at global sports, LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo, Tom Brady are still playing at their peak over 40 years old. That's amazing. They are my inspiration ".

At the age of 40, Ronaldo has just set a record of scoring 41 goals in World Cup qualifying and is approaching the milestone of 1,000 goals in his career. Brady retired at the age of 45 in February 2023, after a great career with 7 Super Bowl championships. LeBron James is preparing to become the first player in the history of the American professional basketball tournament NBA to play in 23 consecutive seasons.

Djokovic, with 24 Grand Slams, is only missing one major to surpass Margaret Court, becoming the player with the most Grand Slams in tennis history (both men and women). However, the last major title he won was at the 2023 US Open. In 2025, the Serbian tennis player still maintained his impressive form when he reached the semi-finals of all four Grand Slam tournaments, but could not win.

At Wimbledon and Roland Garros, Djokovic was eliminated by Jannik Sinner, and at the US Open, he lost to Carlos Alcaraz. The young duo Alcaraz and Sinner are gradually replacing the generation of Djokovic, Federer and Nadal in the race to dominate the tennis world. On October 16, Djokovic continued to lose quickly 4-6, 2-6 to Sinner in the semi-finals of the "expensive" Six Kings Slam friendly tournament.

"In the next few years, tennis will likely undergo big changes, and I want to be a part of that transformation, " Djokovic added. "I want to continue playing as the sport is rejuvenated and builds a new foundation that can last for decades. " Djokovic is also disappointed that tennis is slow to innovate, and believes that the sport is lagging behind the pace of change in the world. According to Nole, what was once tennis' greatest strength - tradition and history - is becoming a major barrier.

"Tennis has always been a sport for the elite, and that helps it have a solid foundation, a heritage, tradition and history that we are very proud of. It is a global sport, " Djokovic said. "But the flip side of that is that the huge potential of tennis is not being exploited. Innovation is being hindered, even sabotaged, because we have to behave and play in a way that has been established for a long time. " He believes that tennis still has the appearance of a 20th century sport, while the world has entered the 21st century. "I believe that tennis is a sport that can change drastically strong in the coming years, and I want to be a part of that change", Djokovic added.

Although he did not specify exactly what needs to be changed, from the tournament schedule, organizational structure, or rules of the game, Djokovic has repeatedly stated the opinion that the 5-set Grand Slam tournament format can become outdated in the modern context and should be reconsidered.