Novak Djokovic, for many, is the greatest tennis player of all time.

And, were he to win one more Grand Slam title, that claim would arguably be indisputable.

The Serbian superstar has already claimed every major honour the sport has to offer, some numerous times, and even in his later years, remains a key figure at the apex of the world rankings.

Last year, despite battling overwhelming physical issues, Djokovic reached the semi-finals of all four Grand Slam titles.

For the majority of the tour, that would have been the best season of their career. For him, it wasn’t good enough.

Given how dominant he has been over the last two decades, it’s almost hard to remember what tennis was like before he ruled over it.

But, in 2019, he was given the chance to ponder what life would have been like if he’d never played the sport at all.

Novak Djokovic on his plans if it weren’t for tennis

Asked what he might have been up to were it not for tennis, his answer was a simple and upbeat one.

However, Djokovic swiftly used it as an opportunity to relay his philosophical outlook, noting: “I would probably be skiing right now somewhere. But I think in life everything happens for a reason, and tennis was meant to be for me.”

He explained why: “I fell in love with it and it was kind of like a sign of destiny for me to take the racquet. I didn’t inherit any tradition… nobody had played tennis before in my family. I fell in love with the sport very early and I’ve dedicated myself fully to it. I just felt like that’s exactly what I wanted to do in life.”

Djokovic began playing tennis at the age of four in a war-torn Belgrade, emerging from Serbia to become sporting royalty.

Novak Djokovic admits he’s ‘not physically ready’ ahead of the Australian Open

In a worrying turn of events ahead of the first Grand Slam tournament of the season, Djokovic is reportedly facing a race against time.

After all, his withdrawal from the Adelaide Open was telling, as he even admitted: “I was really excited about returning as it truly felt like playing at home.”

Sadly, he admitted to being ‘not quite physically ready to compete’, but did assure fans that he remains focused on being prepared for the Australian Open.

Whilst he still seems poised to travel to Melbourne, the narrative surrounding him as the new season begins is far from positive.