"He might be ready to play for another two or three years," Sabalenka discusses Djokovic's longevity

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Adrien Guyot

le 31/05/2025 à 09h00

2 min to read

Djokovic Roland Garros Sabalenka

Aryna Sabalenka has advanced to the round of 16 at Roland-Garros. The world No. 1 defeated Olga Danilovic (6-2, 6-3) this Saturday and has yet to drop a single set en route to the second week at Porte d’Auteuil.

After the match, during the press conference, the Belarusian was asked about Novak Djokovic's longevity. The Serb recently claimed his 100th career title in Geneva and will play his third-round match this Saturday night under the lights against Filip Misolic on the Parisian clay.

"You're trying to put as much pressure as possible on Novak (Djokovic)! Leave him alone. Look at him. He's in great shape, physically and mentally strong. I think he might be ready to play for another two or three years.

Of course, right now he's doing well, even if he has ups and downs, but everyone goes through that. I believe the older you get, the harder it is to maintain a certain level. But as soon as he’s at his best, he plays incredible tennis.

Imagine if he retired tomorrow—everyone would be sad, right? Sure, we still have ten to fifteen years with Jannik (Sinner) and Alcaraz, who could potentially become some of the greatest players in history, but leave Novak alone!

It was sad during the ceremony to see the Big 4 on the court and suddenly realize three of them have retired. Everyone misses their game. Let Novak fight, let him prove he’s the greatest of all time, and let him keep inspiring the younger generations," Sabalenka told the Roland-Garros media.