Djokovic says he will keep playing as long as he has ‘fire and flare’

INDIAN WELLS (Agencies): Novak Djokovic said he sees no reason to retire from tennis given that he is still motivated to compete and capable of beating the best players in the world. The 38-year-old Serb defeated defending champion Jannik Sinner in a thrilling semi-final at the Australian Open in January before falling to world number one Carlos Alcaraz in the final, proving he is still ⁠a force on the sport’s biggest stages. “It was an incredible feeling to be ​able to beat Sinner in five sets in one of the epic matches that I played in recent times in Australia, and then have another great match with Carlos, who was just too good in the end,” Djokovic told reporters at Indian Wells. “For me, that has been a phenomenal result. So I have proven to myself primarily and to others that I can still compete at the highest level and beat these ⁠guys,” he said. “So my logic is why not keep going as long as I have that fire and flair and quality and the motivation to do that.” The 24-times Grand Slam champion said he enjoys picking and choosing his schedule, which revolves mostly around the four ⁠Grand Slams and tune-up events. He also makes space for the Indian Wells tournament in the California desert, where he is a five-time champion. “I really enjoy the thrill of competition,” he ⁠said. “I enjoy still getting out there in front of the fans and being competitive. Still number three in the world, so I don’t think it’s too bad ⁠in terms of the ranking and results and performances. “So I’m still competitive. I still have that edge, and I’ll keep on going as long as I feel like it.”