Novak Djokovic has been out of action for over a month now. His last appearance on court had come at the Indian Wells Masters where he got defeated by Jack Draper in the fourth round. It was during this match that the Serb had picked up an injury on his right shoulder. Since then, he has pulled out from three from three tournaments, including the Miami Open, Monte Carlo Masters and Madrid Masters. However, despite the successive withdrawals, Djokovic continues to break all-time records for fun.

The 38-year-old has now surpassed Roger Federer’s record for the most weeks spent in the top 5 of the ATP rankings. The World No. 4 has now spent 860 weeks in the top 5, overtaking Federer’s tally of 859 weeks. Astonishingly, he also holds the all-time record for the most weeks at No. 1. He has spent a total of 428 weeks on the premier position.

Additionally, there is another record on the horizon for Djokovic. This week is his 939th in the top 10 of the rankings. This is the second-highest tally in history, only behind Federer’s record of 968 weeks. He can go on to claim this record as early as November but will have to return to action as soon as possible.

Nole will be hoping to make his return to the court before the French Open that commences from May 24. He is yet to begin his clay-court season and will be desperate to play some matches on the surface ahead of the Grand Slam.

Rome Masters could be the tournament when Djokovic makes his much-awaited return. It will commence from May 6 and a good performance there would provide the Serb with a significant number of points, and this could be a major confidence booster for him heading into the French Open.

He can also opt to feature at the Hamburg Open, which is an ATP 500 event that will begin from May 17. However, he won’t be able to rest a lot before the Roland Garros if he decides to play in the tournament. This is because the major will begin just a day after the Hamburg Open concludes on May 23.

However, it is still unclear when Djokovic will fully recover from his injury and make his return to the court. His long absence has led to speculations about retirement once again. Another reason for this is his constant physical setbacks.

Now, he has once again addressed the rumors and has given a very direct and personal response.

Novak Djokovic is in no mood to call it quits anytime soon

“What keeps me going is first and foremost my love for the game. Tennis has been my life for so long, and I still enjoy every moment on the court. I love the competition, I love the challenge, and I still feel strong and capable of competing with the younger players — that’s a big part of the fun for me,” Djokovic said in his interview with Esquire Australia.

The 38-year-old also believes that he hasn’t been able to “complete” tennis even though he has already won 24 Grand Slams, the most for any men’s player in history.

“But I don’t feel like I’ve ‘completed’ tennis. My motivation to keep playing comes from my love for the game, from competition, and from challenging myself,” he added.

When asked if his body will be able to support him on his journey ahead, Djokovic had a practical response in store.

“At this stage of my career, preparation isn’t just about training harder. It’s about training smarter, listening to my body, and making sure I’m at my best physically and mentally so I can compete at the highest level,” he further said.

Despite all the speculations regarding his retirement, Djokovic has already proven that he still has a lot left in the tank. The Serb had made it to the final of the Australian Open earlier this year, defeating two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner in the semis. Though the veteran ended up losing the final to Carlos Alcaraz, he still holds an impressive win-loss record of 7-2 this year.

Though Nole had been in great touch at the Grand Slam, all his momentum was halted due to the injury that he sustained at the Indian Wells. Will he be back in action at the Rome Masters, or will the start of his clay-court season get further delayed? Let us know what you think in the comments!