Novak Djokovic has shared his thoughts on scaling back his career as he ages, expressing his desire to devote more time to his children.

Following an exceptional 2023 season, which saw him win three Grand Slam titles, Djokovic started this season at the United Cup. Despite a stellar run in the earlier rounds, the World No. 1 fell short against Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals, ultimately leading to Serbia being knocked out of the event by Australia.

In a recent interview with Sport Klub, Novak Djokovic was asked about his outlook on his 2024 season as he nears the age of 37. In response, the 24-time Grand Slam champion admitted to feeling conflicted about when to conclude his career and which tournaments to participate in this year.

Djokovic disclosed that while a part of him remained entirely devoted to tennis, another part felt immense heartache at being separated from his children, Stefan and Tara, for extended periods of time. He stated that this conflict prompted him to think on how long he should continue to play professionally.

“To be honest, I’m kind of divided [on when to stop and where to play]. There’s always a part of me that is a young boy who just adores tennis and knows only about tennis and devoted his entire life to tennis and that boy still wants to keep going,” Djokovic said (at 1:18).

And then, on the other side, I’m the father of two children, and I’m away from my family, and every time I travel for an extended period of time it breaks my heart. So I’m always thinking about, how long should I play, how many tournaments should I play, is it worth it?,” he added.

The World No. 1 emphasized his enduring hunger to achieve more in the sport and his physical fitness, which enabled him to continue competing. However, he highlighted an emotional dilemma regarding his priorities, stating that he had focused entirely on tennis for 30 years and didn’t want to miss out on pivotal moments in his children’s lives.

“I’m still hungry, I still want to compete, I still can run for hours, thankfully, but it’s more of an emotional aspect. It’s more of like, ‘What is the priority?’ Tennis has been the priority for 30 years, and I don’t want to miss out on too many moments with my children,” he said (at 2:24).