WHY DOES DJOKOVIC KEEP PLAYING? TO SALUTE KOBE BRYANT, FOR ONE

In supreme shape at age 36, expect him to keep playing for several years — as Brady and LeBron and, if alive, Bryant would continue to counsel him as he pushed toward all-time tennis greatness

     This is yet another scramble, right? Can’t Novak Djokovic win more titles for several years ahead, though he claims he’s in some un-envisioned twilight of his tennis life? “The fact,” he said, “is that at age 36, every Grand Slam could be the last one. I don’t know how many I have ahead of me now. So I’m trying to enjoy as much as I possibly can.”

     Why bother answering? He knows, as you know, after another U.S. Open crown. He could play four more seasons, maybe more. With his Grand Slam bouquet at 24, tying Margaret Court for the all-time record and continuing to outpace Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, Djokovic remains at a supreme technical/nutritional/analytical capability and no longer can say the finale is nearby. Tom Brady, who called his friend with congratulations, played until he was 45. LeBron James might mention 40 or so. If Kobe Bryant were alive, wouldn’t he say more, more and more?

     Wearing a 24 jersey to commemorate Bryant, who wore that number with the Los Angeles Lakers, Djokovic spoke fondly of his pal on Sunday evening as he hit the digit. “I thought of these t-shirts, if I get a chance, maybe seven days ago,” he said of the Mamba Forever idea. “Kobe was a close friend. We chatted a lot about winning when I was struggling, the winner’s mentality. He was one of the people I relied on the most. His passing hurt me. I thought the 24 jersey, when he became a legend, was a symbolic way to acknowledge him.”

     If he maintains a curious way of saluting more folks, Djokovic can carry on for the grand ceremony. You actually believe he can’t win a few more in a classic, old-school addendum? Two nights after Carlos Alcaraz was devastated, he went on to smash Daniil Medvedev in three sets, to a point in the last stanza that he crossed the net and offered a warm hand to his fallen foe. It is that easy again, and while no one is downplaying Alcaraz’s awesome future, nothing in our view of the all-time champion suggests he should quit anytime soon. As Medvedev noted, two years after beating Djokovic for the Open title: “I want to ask Novak, what am I still doing here? Come on. I don’t know if you’re ever slowing down a little bit.”

     The best rivalry in sports remains in tennis. Too bad Alcaraz, still 20, admitted he lacked the maturity to get past the Russian. He’ll have more years, and until then, Djokovic knows he’ll try to wait for him at 36. For now, in 2023, he won the Australian, the French, the U.S. and came within points of winning Wimbledon before losing to the kid. If he can almost win a calendar Slam, why not?

     “I never imagined that I would be here standing with you talking about 24 Slams. I never thought that would be the reality," said Djokovic, now the oldest male champ in the U.S. Open era. “But the last couple of years, I felt I have a chance, I have a shot for history, and why not grab it if it's presented?”

     It happened in New York, where they haven’t always like his vaccine standoff and a temper that allowed him to hit a linesperson. Most of all, they want to see the best ever win in their city. “They love sport and they also love when they are experiencing something special,” he said. “They genuinely backed me up and wanted me to win and wanted me to make history.” Now Medvedev picks up the pace, saying the other night as fans rooted for Alcaraz, “The only thing is probably 1,000 Spanish guys started at 5-3 screaming during first and second serves. That’s not so nice. I guess they were desperate, so I’m happy it didn’t help them. They can go to sleep now. The energy you’re giving me right now, guys, I think it will be enough for my five next matches. The more you do this, the more I will win — for you guys.” Djokovic just laughed. He is beyond that hell.

     Oh, he’ll keep talking about his childhood dream in war-torn Serbia. But after crashing to the court and bawling to himself, he brought his daughter to the court. She is 6 and usually colors in books while he plays. He walked about the corridors for minutes, sitting down in a set beside his wife. He even said hi to his friend, Matthew McConaughey. There isn’t too much more to say about Novak Djokovic until he starts again next year.

     “I love Roger. I idolize Laver,” John McEnroe said after missing most of the Open with a Covid mishap. “I have so much respect for Nadal, too.

     “But this guy? I don’t know where to begin.”

     He’s the best ever. And ever still has years left.

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     Jay Mariotti, called “without question the most impacting Chicago sportswriter of the past quarter-century,’’ writes general sports columns for Substack while appearing on some of the 1,678,498 podcasts and shows in production today. He is an accomplished columnist, TV panelist and talk/podcast host. Living in Los Angeles, he gravitated by osmosis to film projects.