Novak Djokovic has jokingly hinted that he aims to pursue a career in cycling once his era of dominance in tennis is over by challenging current UCI world number one Tadej Pogacar.
Djokovic – widely regarded as the greatest tennis player of all time – issued a joking warning to his cycling colleague.
Pogacar cemented his reputation as the best cyclist in the world today by winning his third Tour de France this summer with UCI WorldTeam UAE Team Emirates.
Djokovic did the same on the tennis court, finally winning his first Olympic gold medal in Paris – at his fifth attempt.
The 37-year-old won for Serbia by narrowly defeating Carlos Alcaraz 7-6, 7-6 in an incredible match at Roland Garros.
His emotional victory came after Alcaraz recorded a straight-sets victory of his own earlier this summer, defeating Djokovic in his second consecutive Wimbledon final.
The 21-year-old Spaniard will aim for his third Grand Slam of 2024 at the US Open later this year – and his third this season after the French Open and Wimbledon.
Djokovic will also compete in New York to defend his 24th and final major title, which he won with a 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 win over Daniil Medvedev.
He decided not to take part in the Canadian Open and instead to defend his title at the Cincinnati Open – two Masters 1000 events – after his success at the 2024 Olympic Games.
But Djokovic has begun his preparations for the US Open, posting a video of a training bike ride on Instagram to delight his followers.
The tennis icon was filmed in a wooded area before calling Pogacar directly into the camera and launching an aggressive attack on his training partners.
He reiterated his message to Pogacar, captioning the post: “Back in training. Setting new goals. Next stop: Tour de France. I’m coming for you, Tadej Pogacar.”
The US Open begins on Monday 26 August and runs until Sunday 8 September, with the men’s and women’s champions expected to receive £2.8 million.
Djokovic wants to etch his name even deeper into the history books with a fifth US Open victory, equalling Roger Federer and the American duo Jimmy Connors and Peter Sampras.
Alcaraz is currently the favorite to win his second US Open title, followed by Australian Open winner Jannik Sinner and third-ranked Djokovic.