The idea of retirement pops up for both Kyrgios and Djokovic
By Lee Vowell
Nick Kyrgios has never won a Grand Slam and does not appear the most motivated of players to ever win won. He is 28 years old. Novak Djokovic, in comparison, has won 23 Grand Slams and chooses to be among the most mentally strong players to ever play.
Djokovic still seems as if he wants to win more majors. Kyrgios still seems as if tennis is something that just gets in the way of what he wants to do in his life. Djoko’s age and Kyrgios’s seeming indifference to the sport is one reason the word retirement has been brought up for both players lately.
As the “r” word relates to Kyrgios, he was asked how long he might play at the Ultimate Tennis Challenge (Kyrgios “coached” Frances Tiafoe at the event). In an Instagram post from UTS, the Australian says there is no way he even plays until he’s 33 years old. He says the years he may have spent drinking too much make him feel as if he is “57” instead of 28. Perhaps he will just not play and coach full-time.
Retirement talk about Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios
It is odd that a player who seems to not want to be around the game would even suggest coaching. Sure, it might bring in some kind of income, but would a player really want him as a coach? He’s not exactly the best example of reaching a high level of tennis and staying there.
Djokovic hasn’t addressed retirement directly. Why would he? He’s still challenging to win Grand Slams. However, his father, Srdjan, said recently in a documentary – “Novak Djokovic – Untold Stories” – from the Bulgarian sports site, Sportal, that he hopes Novak will retire by the end of 2024.
Srdjan said, “Tennis is only one segment of his life, not his whole life. I expect him to be recognized for the things he will do after his career ends as well, after he leaves the tennis world, which I hope it will happen next year.”
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A couple of things could push Djokovic toward retirement, of course. One is health. The other is a guy named Carlos Alcaraz. But hopefully, Novak will choose to hang up his racket while he is still winning at a high level.