Novak Djokovic targets 2028 Los Angeles Olympics but wants to 'just keep going'

Serbian legend happy to reinvent his game against younger challengers, Ons Jabeur says she remains determined to make comeback

Novak Djokovic says playing at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles is his “guiding star” but refuses to put an exact time limit on how long he will continue to compete.

The Serbian legend was speaking on the opening day of the World Sports Summit in Dubai when he was asked if he had a date in mind as to when he might retire.

Djokovic, 38, said there was “no limit” to his plans for the future, but said the idea of defending the Olympic title he won in Paris was something he kept in mind.

“I do want to keep on going,” said the record 24-time Grand Slam champion. “The LA Olympics 2028 is kind of a guiding star, but honestly, there is no limit. So, let's see. You know what I mean? Let's just keep going.

“I love hitting the tennis ball and I love competing. I was saying to the guys that I was talking to, the greats in football, that it's really about passion and love, and as long as you really feel like you're playing on a high level and your body holds on, why not?

“People love to talk and speculate about retirement, because, OK, people love to talk. But at the end of the day, I feel like I'm still contributing to the growth of tennis. That is a beautiful job.”

Djokovic made the semi-finals of all four Grand Slams in 2025 but has been usurped at the top of the game by the “Sincaraz” rivalry between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

In 2025, he lost to Sinner in the last four of the French Open and Wimbledon and to Alcaraz at the same stage of the US Open. He did memorably beat Alcaraz in the gold medal match of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“I feel like there's a change in tennis as well that I want to be part of,” he continued. “So, yeah, I'm still good. I'm up for more.

“The younger guys are there. Of course, they're great. [Sinner and Alcaraz] is the new big rivalry that came up. I just love seeing different generations come and go. I'm still there, so I love to observe.”

Djokovic spent much of his career duelling with fellow legends of the court Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal, both of whom have already retired.

He says he had to “reinvent” himself after losing his great rivals but said it was just the latest occasion he had to adapt to the changing landscape of the tour.

“Life is a beautiful journey and I think we all have our unique stories to tell and we don't need to copy anybody else,” he said. “I'm talking like this because I went through my own experiences where I tried to be someone else when I was breaking through on the tour.

“I tried to be a likable guy. I was doing impersonations, which, I think they're fun … I was always doing them. People were really kind of not accepting me as a third guy.

“The Federer and Nadal era was so strong in their rivalry and there was no room for the third guy. But I made some room, I created some room. And it was amazing, the big three and the golden era that we created.

“I feel like when they retired, also part of me left. So, I had to kind of reinvent myself, find new inspirations. And the reason why I still keep on going is also to see how far I can push my own bar, setting my own path.”

Jabeur determined to come back

Later in the day, Tunisian star Ons Jabeur featured in a panel alongside fellow player Paula Badosa and once again discussed her desire to return to full-time tennis.

Jabeur, who hasn’t played since Wimbledon 2025, is currently five months pregnant and has been focusing on matters away from the court, such as her new academy in Dubai.

“I'm not putting any expectations on myself,” she said. “This is a good start. [It is] my first baby, I don't know what it's like to give birth. I'm going to allow myself the time that I need to for my body to heal, for my body to be ready to come back.

“But definitely, the determination is there. It was always my dream to play with having a kid. So, I hope I would be able to do it. I have an amazing team behind me. My husband is also my fitness coach, so he will always push me to do better and to come back better. And I'm hoping for the best that I'll stay positive and send it the positive energy for, you know, that everything goes smoothly.”

The theme of Jabeur’s panel was handling the pressure of expectation, and she spoke about her pride at representing Africa and the Arab world.

“For me, it is a great responsibility, a great honour to represent my country, the Arab continent, Africa, you know, I truly want to inspire more and more players,” said Jabeur, a three-time Grand Slam finalist and former world No 2.

“I see we have a lot of talents, but sometimes they're a bit lost, they don't know how to make it to a professional career and we're missing a role model from our region to see that, okay, I'm a woman, I also got married very young and I can make it, you know, very far, so nothing is really impossible. It doesn't matter where you come from, you can make it.”