‘My Focus Is Mostly On The Slams’

As he winds down his career as arguably the GOAT of men’s tennis, Novak Djokovic says he no longer “enjoys” playing Masters 1000 events and remains focused on the Grand Slams.

Djokovic, 38, skipped the hardcourt warm-up tournament at the Cincinnati Open ahead of the U.S. Open, where he is bidding to win a record 25th major title.

“I decided not to play [Cincinnati] because I wanted to spend more time with my family,” Djokovic, the world No. 7, said Friday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. “And to be honest, I think I earned my right and have the luxury of kind of choosing, picking and choosing where I want to go and what I want to play.

“To be quite frank with you, I don’t enjoy the two-week Masters events anymore,” added Djokovic, who has amassed $189 million in career earnings. It’s just way too long for me. My focus is mostly on the slams, and I have said that before.”

Djokovic said he doesn’t like the fact that the Masters 1000 events are now mostly two-week events. The Canadian Open last 12 days and ended on a Thursday. The Cincinnati Open spanned 14 days, with a final on Monday.

“I’d like to play more of the other tournaments, but I just, we have currently informally, unofficially, 12 Grand Slams a year, when you think about it,” Djokovic said. “I mean, Grand Slam is two weeks and the other Masters events are almost two weeks, as well.

“So yeah, it’s just not any more prioritizing the heavy schedule as I used to. I’m not chasing the rankings or building up my points or defending, etc. I just don’t think about it anymore.”

Djokovic says he finds himself most “inspired” at the Slams. He reached the semis of all three majors so far this season, losing to Jannik Sinner in the semis at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon in straight sets.

“Slams are obviously the four main tournaments where I always feel the most motivation,” he said. “I don’t actually have any schedule other than slams, to be honest.”

He said he’s focused on his family. His daughter, Tara, will celebrate a birthday Sept. 2, and he’s “maybe going to miss out on my daughter’s birthday…if I’m doing well [and]

I’m still here.

“But those are types of things that I really don’t want to be missing anymore. So it’s just on a personal level for me important to be there, to show up, you know, for the people that have been showing up for me for all these years playing tennis.”

Djokovic’s last major title came at the U.S. Open in 2023. Since then, Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have won the last seven majors and are the favorites to win an eighth in New York.

Asked what it’s like to see those guys in the draw, world No. 3 Alexander Zverev joked, “It sucks. It’s terrible.”

Djokovic called them the “best” rivalry in tennis.

“I think their rivalry is amazing,” he said. “What they have done in the previous two years is remarkable for both of these players. Particularly this year the finals that we have seen them play against each other in Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and a few other tournaments, it’s just amazing for our sport.

“On a global sport stage, these are the types of encounters and rivalries people get very excited about. When it comes to individual sports like ours or boxing, Formula 1 racing, whatever it is, golf, people love to see rivalries. I think their rivalry is, without a doubt, the best one we have in the moment. And it looks like it’s going to stay like that for some time.”

He added: “And then you have obviously other young players that are definitely going to challenge them, and hopefully somebody can get in the mix. You know, [Holger] Rune was there, and he kind of goes up and down. [Joao] Fonseca. There are players that are able to have that Djoker spot, the third spot.

“I kind of empathize with the third guy, because I was in those shoes with Federer and Nadal. I want to see a third guy coming in.”

Meantime, Patrick McEnroe says the Serbian legend might not play that much longer if he believes he can’t beat Sinner and Alcaraz on the biggest stages.

“I think Novak definitely needs some help [to win the U.S. Open],” McEnroe said in response to my question on an ESPN conference call on Wednesday. “I think the bigger question we may be asking ourselves by the time this tournament is done, is, will he come back? Will he be back? Because I have my doubts. I don’t think he knows. I don’t have any inside information. I don’t think he knows, but what I do know is that he’s not going to continue to play if he doesn’t think he can win. And I think time’s running out for him to win.”