“It means I’ve been playing quite a long time,” Djokovic said. “And also, I mean, 19 times, I mean, that’s a great stat. Probably almost as much as [Jannik] Sinner and [Carlos] Alcaraz have years in their life.”
Not quite. Sinner is 23, while Alcaraz is 22.
Younger players like Sinner and Alcaraz, who have combined for eight Grand Slam titles, are now Djokovic’s biggest competition. Despite that, he doesn’t seem to envy them. Instead, he mentors them.
“He’s very important for me as a player and a person,” Sinner, who used to train with Djokovic in Monaco, said before Wimbledon, via The Athletic’s Matthew Futterman. “I was lucky enough to practice with him when I was very young in Monaco. Every time when I asked questions, he answered me in a very honest way.”
When asked why he mentors young players at the French Open in June, Djokovic said he always wanted older players to do the same for him at the beginning of his career.
“What’s the value of knowledge and experience that you have if you don’t transfer it to someone who’s coming up?” the 24-time Grand Slam champion said, per Futterman.
This doesn’t mean he’s thinking about retirement.
“I don’t pause to reflect, to be honest. I don’t have time,” Djokovic said Thursday. “I would like to. But I think that’s going to come probably when I set the racket aside, and then sip margaritas on the beach with [Roger] Federer and [Rafael] Nadal and just reflect on our rivalry and everything.”
Why would he reflect when he’s still one of the best players in the world? In his match Thursday, he hit 46 winners, while Evans had 19.
Djokovic is slated to face Miomir Kecmanovic on Saturday, where the tennis sage could continue to showcase his wisdom.
