Australian Open 2026: Novak Djokovic says ‘addiction’ to tennis keeps him going at age 38

Novak Djokovic said on Saturday (Jan 17, 2026) that he still gets a “drug-like” adrenaline rush from tennis and is not thinking of retiring anytime soon.

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

Melbourne Park is his favorite hunting ground and claims 10 titles.

Despite scaling back his tournament appearances in recent years, the Serbian powerhouse remains confident he can still compete with the best and is not ready to leave the sport behind.

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

“It’s passion and love for the game. It’s the interaction with people. It’s the energy you feel when you walk onto the field.”

“That adrenaline rush, it’s almost like a drug.

“I think many top athletes from different sports can relate to that. At least I’ve heard them talk about it.”

“It’s so addictive, you know, the feeling of competition.”

His old rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have both hung up their rackets and Djokovic said he was constantly asked when he would join them.

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

“When that arrives and matures a bit in my mind, I’ll share it with you, and then we can all talk about it on the farewell tour.

“But right now I’m still number four in the world and I’m still competing at the highest level. I feel like there’s no need to draw attention to that discussion.”