Are we seeing the end of Novak Djokovic at the ongoing US Open? If recent whispers are to be believed, Djokovic looks past his peak. Plus, he also skipped two Masters tournaments, the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open. Although the Serb wants to focus completely on Grand Slams, the enormous rise of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz has made Djokovic wait for his 25th Grand Slam title. And so, it seems he got some time to ponder over what he would like to do next.

Yesterday, the Serb opened his campaign at the US Open in style, with a convincing straight-set win over Learner Tien, who has shown a lot of promise of late. Djokovic was dominant right from the word go, showing no signs of rustiness despite this being his first singles match after Wimbledon. But he also made sure to enjoy every bit of the US Open so far. A fun promo that he was a part of proves this.

In the clip, a couple of tennis players asked each other random questions, and as a part of that, Brazil’s Joao Fonseca asked Djokovic: “What’s your plan after you retire from tennis?” And the veteran tennis player, who is known for his off-court humor, answered: “My plan after I retire is to coach Fonseca. I’m going to be very expensive for him, so be ready.”

At just 19, Fonseca has become the talk of the town this year. After winning the ATP Next Gen Finals last year, he won his first ATP Tour title at the Argentina Open this year. The Brazilian star even impressed Novak Djokovic with his performances, who heaped massive praise on him in March. “He’s been [the] talk of the Tour in the last several months. I mean, deservedly so. He’s a very good tennis player. I mean, so young. Just incredible firepower from both ends of the baseline, serve [as well]. He’s a very complete player,” Djokovic said about Fonseca.

While Fonseca has surely emerged as a next-generation star, the rumors about Djokovic’s retirement have also been swirling. However, Andy Roddick has some firm advice for Djokovic on how to answer the retirement questions.

What did Andy Roddick say about Novak Djokovic’s retirement?

Even as the Serb is toward the fag end of his career, no one can forget his domination on the court, resulting in 24 Grand Slam titles. Although he has failed to reach a Grand Slam final this year, the Serb’s chances can never be ruled out at the Grand Slam level. American legend Andy Roddick felt exactly the same and had a piece of advice for Djokovic on how to tackle retirement questions.

Last week, he said, “I was watching him right before he came over to the stage. Even in practice, there’s never a shot that looks panicked. It’s always under control, hasn’t played since Wimbledon, but practicing was very… I saw him break him twice in practice. It’s just unbelievable what he’s still doing.

“And if any journalist ask him when he’s going to retire, he should say, when I’m not one of the best players in the world anymore, and just save himself that question over and over again.”

After a victorious start to the campaign at Flushing Meadows, Djokovic’s path could get trickier ahead. He will next face Zachary Svajda, who is the young 22-year-old local star. The match can be followed on EssentiallySports’ Live Blog.

Can Novak Djokovic dig deep at the US Open? Let us know your views in the comments below.