Novak Djokovic has declared that tennis no longer is a major priority for him. The 29-year old Serbian has been finding it difficult to strike a balance with his professional life and personal life. In 2016, he became the third player to hold all four Grand Slam titles. He managed to achieve this after winning the French Open. But, in November he lost the Number One rank to Andy Murray. The 2017 Australian Open, did not have the best of starts for Djokovic because Denis Istomin handed him a second round defeat. Later on, at the Mexican Open, Nick Kyrgios beat him in the quarterfinals in straight sets.

In an interview with Tennis World USA, Djokovic said that tennis was his number one priority until his son Stefan was born. At that moment everything changed, now he has to juggle being a professional player and being a good father for Stefan. Niki Pilic, a former mentor to Djokovic, questioned his former protégé’s motivation and said that Novak had lost his tenacity. Djokovic said that he respected everyone’s opinion, whether positive or negative.

However, he also said that tennis might not be his first priority, but he will still play the game with the same amount of passion and love that he had when he picked up a racquet for the first time. He also stated that he won’t be retiring any time soon because he has a lot to prove. But, he cannot separate himself privately or professionally because both aspects make him a complete person