Novak Djokovic: Serb vows to keep playing past 40 and ‘be part of change’ in tennis

Every tournament exit has led to questions about his future, but Djokovic said he had no plans to retire and took inspiration from stars in other sports who have defied age to play at the top.

Speaking at a conference at Joy Forum in Riyadh, Djokovic said: “Longevity is one of my biggest motivations.

“I really want to see how far I can go. If you see across all the global sports, Lebron James he is still going strong, he is 40, Cristiano Ronaldo, Tom Brady played until he was 40-something years old, it is unbelievable.

“They are inspiring me.

“In the next couple of years tennis is a sport that can be greatly transformed and I want to be part of that change.

“I want to be playing when we rejuvenate our sport and set the new platform that is going to go on for decades to come.”

Leading players are pushing the Grand Slams for a greater share of revenue, while the Professional Tennis Players Association – co-founded by Djokovic – launched lawsuits against tennis’ governing bodies earlier this year in an effort to force through changes.

Djokovic was speaking in Saudi Arabia for the Six Kings Slam exhibition tournament, where he and six-time major champion Alcaraz have been given byes to the semi-finals.

There is a reported $4.5m (£3.4m) in prize money on offer, with some players also likely to have been paid seven-figure sums to appear.

Reports say the winner could take home up to $6m (£4.5m).

Djokovic faces Italy Sinner on Thursday night, with Alcaraz taking on American Taylor Fritz.