Djokovic Says ‘Addiction’ To Tennis Keeps Him Going At 38

Melbourne: Novak Djokovic said on Saturday that he still gets a “drug-like” adrenaline rush from tennis and that he has no plans to retire anytime soon.

The 38-year-old is about to make his 21st Australian Open appearance and remains among the top contenders behind reigning champion Jannik Sinner and top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz.

Melbourne Park is his favorite hunting ground, with 10 titles.

Despite reducing his participation in tournaments in recent years, the Serbian star is still confident that he can compete with the best and is not ready to leave the sport behind.

“To be honest, I’m still living my dream,” the former world number one said on the eve of the year’s inaugural Grand Slam.

“It’s the passion and love for the game. It’s the interaction with people. It’s the energy you feel when you step on the field.

“This adrenaline rush is almost like a drug.

“I think a lot of top athletes from different sports relate to that. At least I’ve heard them talk about it.

“The feeling of competing is very addictive.”

Longtime rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have hung up their racquets, and Djokovic said he was constantly asked when he would join them.

“I’ve obviously been asked a lot about when the cutoff date will be for me, but I don’t want to talk or think about it yet because I’m here, I’m racing,” he said.

“When this comes and matures in my mind, I will share it with you and then we can all discuss the farewell tour together.

“But at the moment I’m still fourth in the world, I’m still competing at the highest level and I think it’s unnecessary to draw attention to this controversy.”