ジョコビッチ、来季現役続行を明言 ツアー通算１００勝はお預け

【上海ＡＦＰ＝時事】男子テニスの四大大会（グランドスラム）で通算２４勝を誇るノバク・ジョコビッチは、現世界ランキング１位のヤニック・シナーに敗れた１３日の上海マスターズ決勝後、来シーズンも現役を続ける意向だと明かした。（写真は男子テニス上海マスターズのシングルス決勝に臨むノバク・ジョコビッチ）
　３７歳のジョコビッチは６－７（４－７）、３－６で敗れ、今季の全豪オープンと全米オープンで優勝したシナーに直近４戦３敗となった。
　自身も今季は「結果の面では過去最悪のレベル」だったと認めたが、先日引退を表明した長年のライバルであるラファエル・ナダルに続いて現役を退く考えはないと明言し、「将来がどうなるかは分からないが、その時々の気分で流れに身を任せてみるつもり。来シーズンも戦ってプレーする計画だ」とコメントした。
　全仏オープンとウィンブルドン選手権はカルロス・アルカラスが制し、今季のジョコビッチはグランドスラムの優勝回数を伸ばせなかったが、８月のパリ五輪ではアルカラスとの激闘に勝利して悲願の金メダルを獲得し、キャリア通算９９勝目を挙げた。
　この日はシナーに敗れ、ジミー・コナーズとロジャー・フェデラーに次ぐツアー通算１００勝はお預けとなったが、「自分にとっては死んでも成し遂げたいというような目標ではない。もうキャリアの最大の目標はすべて達成したと思う」と意に介さず。
　「今はとにかくグランドスラムと、どこまで自分の限界を押し上げられるかを考えている」と強調した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/10/15-17:23）

Novak Djokovic insisted Sunday that he plans to compete and play next season despite suffering another loss at the hands of world number one Jannik Sinner.
The 37-year-old Serb, the holder of a men's record 24 Grand Slam titles, went down 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 to the Italian in the final of the Shanghai Masters.
It was Djokovic's third defeat in his last four clashes against the Australian Open and US Open champion.
However, Djokovic said he has no intention of following career-long rival Rafael Nadal into retirement even though he endured by his own admission one of the worst-performing seasons in terms of results.
I don't know what the future brings, I'll just try to kind of go with the flow to see how I feel in a given moment but I still plan to compete and play next season, he told reporters.
Djokovic failed to add to his Grand Slam haul in 2024 as Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who claimed the French Open and Wimbledon titles, took possession of the sport's major honours.
However, Djokovic was crowned Olympic champion, winning an emotional roller-coaster of a final against Alcaraz in Paris in August. That was his 99th career title.
Sunday's loss left him frustratingly short of becoming just the third man after Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer to win 100 titles.
It's not a live-or-die type of goal for me, I think I've achieved all of my biggest goals in my career, he said.
Right now it's really about Slams and about still seeing how far I can kind of push the bar for myself.
Djokovic hailed Sinner who at 23 is 14 years his junior. His title in Shanghai was his seventh of the year.
He's very solid from the forehand and backhand, doesn't make too many mistakes, and just tries to take away the time from the opponent, said Djokovic.
That's something that reminds me of myself throughout my career, that's what I've done for so many years consistently, playing fast-paced tennis, taking away time from the opponent, kind of suffocating the opponent in a certain way.