Novak Djokovic turns 37 next year, but the Serbian says his appetite for success will only increase with young challengers awakening the “beast” in him. The world number one enjoyed an extraordinary 2023 by winning three out of the four Grand Slams to take his tally to 24, two more than his great rival Rafa Nadal and four more than the retired Roger Federer. However, he did not have it all his way this season, with 22-year-old Jannik Sinner dashing his Davis Cup dreams and 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz denying him a fifth-straight Wimbledon title in a thriller.

The Serb believes the presence of players like Sinner and Alcaraz motivates him. “The young guys who are very hungry and inspired to play their best tennis against me is an additional motivation,” he told CBS News program 60 Minutes.

Djokovic entered an era dominated by Nadal and Federer but has turned the H2H record against the pair around (although some of his victories over Fedal have been heartbreaking for his rival’s fans). He is also the first man to win 21 slams in the Open Era and has finished as the year-end world number one a record seven times.

He also has a substantial social media following and has become a Unicef ambassador. The world’s number one believes he can inspire people with his love, hope, and faith messages.

The world number one was speaking on the Advantage Connors podcast by Jimmy Connors and his son Brett. Listen to the full interview on the podcast page.