Novak Djokovic wants to coach after retiring as player

Novak Djokovic may soon separate himself from the pack and emerge as the greatest and most successful men's tennis player in history. He's currently tied with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal with 20 Grand Slam victories and showing no signs of slowing down as the world No. 1 heading into 2022. 

According to Reuters (h/t ESPN), Djokovic spoke about his post-playing intentions after he defeated Daniil Medvedev to win the Paris Masters on Sunday.

"I try to pass on to new generations everything that I've learned. Knowledge can be a curse if you don't use it," Djokovic explained during his comments. "What am I supposed to do when I retire — take it to my grave so that those who come after me are unable to benefit from my philosophy, work methods and approach?

"For me, it's only logical that the next step should be to pass my knowledge on to others. I see myself in various roles in the future and I am glad that I can also develop as a coach."

As Reuters points out, it's unknown if Djokovic, 34, will play in next year's Australian Open, as the state of Victoria has announced a vaccination mandate for pro athletes. Djokovic hasn't confirmed if he's received one of the safe and available vaccines, and Reuters (h/t CNN) previously reported he will not be permitted to enter Australia in January if he is unable to prove he's fully vaccinated against the virus. 

"You'll need to be double vaccinated to visit Australia," Minister for Immigration Alex Hawke said last month. "That's a universal application, not just to tennis players. I mean that every visitor to Australia will need to be double vaccinated."