Novak Djokovic says he plans to adjust his 2021 calendar in an effort to catch Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the all-time Grand Slam titles list.
Djokovic claimed his 17th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open and was the heavy favourite to move to 18 at the US Open in September.
But his tournament in New York ended in stunning fashion as he was defaulted after hitting a lineswoman with a ball.
Then at the rescheduled French Open last month, the Serbian was outclassed by great rival Nadal in the final.
There remains plenty of time for Djokovic to reach 20 but the likes of Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev are all expected to improve in the coming years.
On Monday night, Djokovic will start his campaign for a sixth ATP Finals title at the O2 Arena.
As the top seed, Djokovic is the favourite for the title and excels in indoor conditions.
Ahead of the season-ending event, Djokovic was already thinking about how to attack the 2021 season and coming years.
And in an ominous statement, Djokovic said he is not hanging up his racket any time soon.
“With New York, I got out of the tournament with something not related to hitting a forehand or backhand into the net,” he told the Evening Standard.
“And the French Open final? I couldn’t say I regret something and think I was close, because I wasn’t. I was just outplayed and so it’s not difficult to move on.
“And I don’t think about age as an issue for me, maybe that I have a year or two or three left in me to fight for more Slams.
“Sure, I have to be a bit more strategic from next season with creating my calendar, which tournaments I want to prioritise and where I want to peak.
“But as long as the desire is there, I’m healthy and I have the support of my family, I’ll keep on playing. I don’t see it as an obligation, it’s not a financial issue or anything like that, I just still enjoy it and want to compete at the highest level.
“As long as I feel like that, I’ll be here a long time. I don’t want to put an expiry date on me yet.”
