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Archie Moore, considered the greatest light-heavyweight, was 47 years old and still held the world champion title when he eloquently described the reason behind many legendary athletes’ reluctance to retire gracefully.
At this point the siren call of family and the easy life was deafening. Moore also knew his wife yearned for him to retire, and he adored spending time with his young daughters “lest they forget that love and life go hand in hand”. Yet the mere thought of fighters half his age wanting his belts stirred the warrior in him once more.
“I am the older mongoose, still trying to outsmart and outperform the younger competitors,” he stated. “I am akin to the intoxicated patron at a bar, always wanting one more before calling it a night. I desire one more victory to add to my record, and then just one more after that. While some believe it is admirable to retire undefeated, I believe a true champion should fight until the end and leave with his fists raised, just as he entered. It is the appropriate way to exit, and I believe it may be my own.”
Moore continued to compete for three more years, facing all challengers including a youthful Muhammad Ali. He ultimately retired at the age of 50 after winning 186 matches in his career.
I recalled Moore’s statement as I witnessed Novak Djokovic unexpectedly lose to Luca Nardi, ranked 123rd in the world, during the Indian Wells tournament last week. This thought resurfaced as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, both vying for the top spot in tennis, battled on Saturday night. Alcaraz emerged victorious after three sets and went on to defeat Daniil Medvedev 7-6, 6-1 in the final on Sunday.
The arrival of this question became more frequent and openly discussed: can Djokovic continue to muster the same warrior determination and win numerous grand slam titles each year?
It wasn’t simply that Djokovic endured the worst defeat of his career in a major event against Nardi. It was the manner of his third defeat in 11 matches in 2024. No one is better in clutch moments than the Serb. But against Nardi he reverted to catenaccio tennis, hitting only two winners and two unforced errors in the decisive final set. His opponent, by contrast, smashed 16 winners to four unforced errors.
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Additionally, there was another factor at play. In most cases, the longer the point, the more dominant the tennis player known as the “iron man” becomes. However, in his match against Nardi, Djokovic was only able to win 13 out of 37 rallies that went for nine shots or more. Reflecting on his performance, he humbly acknowledged that his opponent was the better player on the day. However, he also noted, revealingly, that his own level of play was subpar and he made several costly unforced errors.
Djokovic expressed similar sentiments following his loss to Sinner at the Australian Open, where he committed 54 unforced errors in a four-set match. He remarked, “I was taken aback by my performance, and not in a good way.”
Currently, it is too early to say that the torch has been handed down to the next generation. However, there is a hint that the tennis powers may be looking for fuel and a flame for the first time.
Djokovic expressed his acknowledgment of an issue before Indian Wells, where he also shared his sorrow over the approaching conclusion of the golden era of men’s tennis, which prominently features himself, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray.
He acknowledged that everyone will experience those moments, but when they do, and it becomes clear that Roger has ended his career and Rafa and I will likely not play much longer, it marks the end of an era and is a bittersweet realization.
Some may argue that Djokovic’s recent success includes three grand slam titles and a win at the ATP Finals. He has also had shaky starts to a season in the past, such as his loss to Taro Daniel at Indian Wells in 2018, but has still managed to win grand slam titles. Furthermore, he now prioritizes his efforts towards the major tournaments.
While the aforementioned statements hold validity, it is inevitable that even Djokovic, who will be 37 years old in May, will eventually succumb to the effects of aging. This is evident in the odds given by bookmakers, with Alcaraz being favored to win the French Open and some even predicting him to successfully defend his Wimbledon title, which he earned after an intense five-set match against Djokovic in the previous year. Despite having respect for Djokovic, both Alcaraz and Sinner are not intimidated by him.
Unfortunately, Djokovic announced on Saturday that he would not be participating in the Miami Open this week. He has been the winner of this event six times before, but stated that he is now trying to balance both his personal and professional commitments. Following this announcement, tournament director James Blake tweeted that it seems Djokovic has prioritized his family.
It is completely comprehensible, and even commendable. It also allows him more opportunity to refocus and reignite his competitive drive. Those who closely follow Djokovic will recall that after achieving a career grand slam with his victory at the French Open in 2016, he confessed to a lack of motivation. This led to a two-year gap without winning a major title. Undoubtedly, the recent loss to Nardi will reignite his motivation once again.
No matter what occurs in the future, one thing is certain: observing the older tennis player’s efforts to outsmart and outplay the younger generation, as they strive for one last grand slam victory, will make this year’s French Open and Wimbledon even more enthralling than usual.
Source: theguardian.com
