‘A Difficult Task’ – Alexander Zverev Weighs In on Novak Djokovic’s Tennis Future Ahead of Cincinnati Open

Alexander Zverev kicked off his North American hardcourt swing with a second-round loss at the Canadian Open. The world No. 3 will hope to deliver a stronger campaign at the Cincinnati Open as he looks to gain momentum for the US Open, where he will be on the hunt for his second Grand Slam title.

Ahead of his campaign at the ATP Masters 1000 event, Zverev shared his thoughts on Novak Djokovic’s tennis future while highlighting the challenges of competing at the highest level at the Serb’s age.

What Alexander Zverev Said About Novak Djokovic at the Cincinnati Open

Following his run to the semifinals at Wimbledon, Djokovic traveled to Montenegro and enjoyed a relaxing vacation with his family. Having skipped the Canadian Open, the 24-time Grand Slam champion is now set to make his return at the Cincinnati Open, headlining the field alongside Zverev in Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s absence.

During his pre-tournament press conference, Zverev praised Djokovic’s remarkable longevity, expressing his belief that the Serb could comfortably maintain a spot in the top five if he played a full schedule.

“It’s amazing. I think Novak, if he chooses to, he could probably stay in the top five for another 3-4 years easily, or 2-3 years easily. If he would play a full schedule and if really his goal would be to stay in the top five, he would stay in the top five because that’s just how good his tennis is,” Zverev said.

At the same time, Zverev acknowledged the “difficult task” of competing in physically demanding five-set matches at 39. He also cited Djokovic’s admission about the “wear and tear” on his body following his loss to Sinner in the Wimbledon semifinals, which came after he defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime in a grueling five-hour, 15-minute quarterfinal.

“Of course at some point, I think he’s the first to admit it and he admitted at Wimbledon, at some point it gets difficult to play best-of-five matches against the best back-to-back all the time. Which is very normal,” he said.

“To be out there for five hours, five and a half hours and win those kind of matches is an unbelievable effort but then to have to come back two days later and then play the world No. 1 or world No. 2, I think that’s a difficult task at 39 years old and it would be a difficult task for anybody,” he added.

MORE:‘Doesn’t Change Much’ – Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz Address Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s Cincinnati Absence

Top seed Alexander Zverev and No. 3 seed Novak Djokovic have landed in the same half of the Cincinnati Open, setting up the possibility of a blockbuster semifinal showdown.

Following a first-round bye, Zverev will face either Cameron Norrie or Dino Prižmić in his tournament opener, while Djokovic will battle the winner of the match between Thiago Agustín Tirante and Jan Choinski.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.