Novak Djokovic has been on tour for more than two decades and has broken plenty of records, but he admitted he still feels “stressed and nervous” before matches.

Aged 37, Djokovic is getting closer to the end of his career. The Serb has started to pick up more frequent injuries and has suffered some uncharacteristic losses over the last year.

But the world No. 7 has now thrown a spanner in the works, suggesting he should remain active for as long as possible.

Djokovic has cemented his status as the GOAT in tennis – he has the most weeks at No. 1, the most Grand Slam titles in the Open Era, and has won everything possible in the sport.

But Father Time has started to catch up to him. Last year, Djokovic limited his schedule and suffered some early exits at big tournaments like the US Open and Indian Wells.

He underwent knee surgery last summer and picked up a muscle tear at the recent Australian Open, forcing him to retire in the semi-final. So it’s no surprise some fans have started to wonder when he will hang up his racket.

But Djokovic has now thrown a curveball in the retirement conversation, as he admitted he was as motivated as ever to keep playing.

“I feel the cramps in my stomach before every match. I’m stressed, I’m nervous, I’m excited,” the 37-year-old said at the Qatar Open.

“So, it’s a good sign, because after all of these years of competing on the tour and everything I achieved, I still feel that, I still feel the jitters.”

While Djokovic is still keen to compete, he also believes his presence on the professional tennis circuit is a good thing.

He continued: “It’s a good sign because I still care about doing this, and I feel and I hope that my active career that keeps going is also positively affecting the overall tennis ecosystem.

“I like to believe that. And hopefully inspiring younger generations to come and watch tennis, grab a tennis racket, participate in our sport in any shape or form.”

Djokovic also has another goal which is pushing him to keep playing. He currently has 99 professional titles and is seeking his 100th trophy.

The world No. 7 could get the job done in Doha this week. Djokovic is back at the tournament for the first time in more than six years, and the Qatar Open has now been upgraded to an ATP 500 event.

“I always enjoyed myself here,” Djokovic added. “The tournament was played in the first week of the season, prior to Australia, so it was actually a great week for all of us preparing for Australian Open, and flying to Australia through Doha.”

It won’t be easy for Djokovic to claim title No. 100 in Doha this week. He faces former world No. 6 Matteo Berrettini in the first round – a rematch of the 2021 Wimbledon final – and Carlos Alcaraz looms in his half of the draw.

“He brings a lot of strength and a lot of power in his shots. I know his game well, it’s not an ideal draw for me, not in the first round,” Djokovic said of Berrettini.

“But it’s also, in a sense, good for me to be really locked in from the first point of the first match, and not take any chances against anyone.”