Jim Courier calls Novak Djokovic 'mind-boggling' for one major reason

Novak Djokovic will be 38 next month, and his longevity on the ATP Tour has taken former World No. 1 Jim Courier by surprise. The American praised the 'Big 3' of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Djokovic for their longevity in comparison to the previous generations.

Courier sat down for an interview with an organization called 'Questions for Cancer Research' and it was released on YouTube on Wednesday (April 9). The four-time Grand Slam champion discussed all things tennis with the host, including the Big 3 era.

He admitted that Djokovic still playing is "mindboggling."

"Something that is still mindboggling, Djokovic is still active. He's chasing his 25th Major and I think he's very, very capable of getting it. We'll see if he is able to," Jim Courier said (from 20:39).

The Serb won his record-breaking 24th Grand Slam title at the 2023 US Open. He reached the 2024 Wimbledon final in search of his 25th Major, but Carlos Alcaraz denied him the celebrations.

More recently, he put up an impressive display at the 2025 Australian Open and reached the semifinal. However, the 10-time Melbourne Slam champ had to retire midway in his match against Alexander Zverev to extend his wait for the 25th Grand Slam.

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Jim Courier reveals Roger Federer's "hack" for longevity which was followed by Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic

(L-R) Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer at the Laver Cup 2022 - Source: Getty

In the same interview, Jim Courier delved into the reasons why the Big 3 played and won events deep into their 30s, but the previous generation of Courier and Pete Sampras did not. Sampras retired at 31 while Courier retired at 29.

"I know Pete was really mentally fatigued at the end of his career, as was I. It was a grind... With the never-ending calendar and tennis events," he said (at 37:36).

Further, he revealed that Roger Federer's scheduling "hack" helped him, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to play for longer. Courier said:

"Federer in particular set the bar for how to schedule for longevity... Federer figured out a hack which is that 'Even though I'm required to play these tournaments, I'm not going to. And they'll just have to deal with my absence because I want to have a long run here.'"

"And he did and I think that's what Nadal and then Djokovic learned to do as well is to manage their careers for longevity in a way that prior generations didn't," he added.

Federer won his last Grand Slam title, the 2018 Australian Open, at the age of 36, before officially retiring in 2022. Nadal also won his last Major, the 2022 French Open, at the age of 36, before retiring last year. Meanwhile, Djokovic's last Major came at the 2023 US Open when he was 36 but a month away from 38, he continues to aspire to win more.