Djokovic says age is catching up as he targets U.S. Open run

Novak Djokovic has 24 Grand Slam singles titles, a record haul, but he told CBS Mornings he still feels he has work to do every time he steps on court.

In an interview with co-host Gayle King that aired Friday, the 39-year-old Serbian star said “there’s always something to prove” to himself and to other people. His daily standard, he said, is blunt: “I can always be better than I was yesterday.”

Djokovic is still aiming at the top of the sport, though he told CBS Mornings that his body is no longer as forgiving as it once was. He said he is trying to grab “every percentage of extra edge” so he can keep battling younger players at an elite level.

The wear showed at Wimbledon earlier this month. Djokovic beat Felix Auger Aliassime in a quarterfinal that lasted 5 hours and 15 minutes, then lost in the semifinals to Jannik Sinner, who went on to win the tournament.

Looking back on that run, Djokovic said his body now reacts differently after more than two decades at the highest level. He said he could not recover as fully as he wanted before facing Sinner, while also making clear he was not taking credit away from the eventual champion.

His next target is the U.S. Open in New York City next month. Asked who presents his toughest challenge, Djokovic gave CBS Mornings a familiar answer: “Myself, always.”

He called the U.S. Open the most entertaining and exciting Grand Slam, and said crowd energy remains one of the main reasons he keeps competing. Djokovic said the appreciation he has received around the world in recent years is something for which he cannot thank fans enough.

A tennis life that started outside the family business

Djokovic has spent 428 weeks ranked No. 1 in men’s singles, the all-time record, but he told CBS Mornings that tennis was not waiting for him at home. His family background, he said, was in professional skiing.

He began playing tennis at age 4. Djokovic said no one in his family, including his extended family, had played before him, and that Serbia did not have a tennis tradition at the time.

He said his interest grew into love after he asked his father to buy him a racket. Djokovic also described tennis as a safe space during a childhood shaped by wars in the 1990s, embargoes, sanctions, and economic and social crises.

Djokovic said his parents supported him even though tennis was an expensive sport. He also credited his wife and children with helping him continue his career, while acknowledging the cost of time away from home.

He said missing family dates and events is hard, and that he now plays less than he used to because he wants to be the best husband, father, brother and son he can be.

Djokovic backs Serena Williams’ comeback

Djokovic also praised Serena Williams, who returned to the court last month after nearly four years away from professional tennis, according to CBS Mornings.

Williams, 44, lost her opening singles match at Wimbledon and withdrew from a scheduled doubles match with her sister, Venus Williams, because of a knee injury.

Djokovic told CBS Mornings that Williams’ comeback should be celebrated regardless of results. “It doesn’t matter if she wins or loses, it’s already epic,” he said, adding that he told her that personally at Wimbledon.

He said he wants Williams to feel happy on court, because he can relate, to a degree, to pushing on at an older age after achieving nearly everything possible in the sport.

A new documentary about Djokovic’s life and career, “Novak Djokovic: The Wolf in Winter,” is set to arrive next month, according to CBS Mornings.

This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.