Novak Djokovic has enjoyed a simply sensational career, but he remains focused on claiming a 25th Grand Slam title before he retires.
Currently joined by Margaret Court on 25, one more success would take the legendary Serbian to the top of the pile on his own.
But finally getting over the line has proven difficult for Djokovic in recent years, which is more than understandable at this stage of his career.
The 39-year-old last won a Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open, and since then has lost the 2024 Wimbledon and 2026 Australian Open finals.
Djokovic remains motivated despite his age, with his fellow sporting icon Lionel Messi acting as the perfect source of inspiration.
Who is your pick to win the US Open men’s singles title?
Novak Djokovic can take inspiration from Lionel Messi in his Grand Slam pursuit
Another legendary athlete, Messi has been producing similar levels of amazement in football to Djokovic in tennis.
He just scored a sensational eight goals for Argentina at the World Cup, only two behind top goal scorer Kylian Mbappe.
The legendary figure was undoubtedly one of the best players of the entire tournament, still dazzling fans and opponents alike at the age of 39.
Very fittingly, the Argentine and Djokovic were born almost exactly one month apart in 1987, and both are still going strong in their respective fields.
While Messi was recently doing his thing on the pitch, the Serbian was producing similar heroics on the iconic courts of Wimbledon.
In fact, on the same day that the football hero helped his nation reach the World Cup quarterfinals, Djokovic reached the semifinals in London with a five-set victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime.
His stunning victory arrived shortly after more Messi magic, which the ATP superstar would not have been able to ignore.
Even though Argentina failed to lift the World Cup trophy, Djokovic can take real inspiration from his fellow 39-year-old, who continues to prove that nothing is impossible.
When Lionel Messi watched Novak Djokovic play at the Miami Open
Like Argentina on the big stage, Djokovic also fell short at Wimbledon, losing his semifinal clash with world number one Jannik Sinner.
But that run should give him real motivation for the US Open, which represents his last chance of a 25th Grand Slam title in 2026.
Taking place in New York, Djokovic has what it takes to win the US Open, which is a tournament he has won four times before.
Incidentally, Messi and Djokovic have crossed paths in their legendary careers, with the latter notably sharing his admiration for the former last year.
The Argentine watched the Serbian play at the 2025 Miami Open, after which Djokovic said: “Amazing to have him.
“It is a great honour to play, probably for the first time, in front of him live. I am really grateful he was here with his son and the family.
“I admired him, of course – as most of the world did – for most of his career and it is amazing he still keeps going. We are actually the same age, born in 1987, so it is nice to have him around.”
READ MORE: How many combined weeks Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer spent as ATP No. 1
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Messi after his World Cup heartache, but it’s clear that he’s already done enough to gain the respect of the sporting world, including Djokovic.
The Serbian is agonizingly close to ending his major drought, and may just need one final push to create more tennis history with a 25th Grand Slam glory.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
