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Novak Djokovic has confirmed his tennis career will continue so long as two key elements remain intact. The 24-time Grand Slam champion reached the Australian Open final in the only tournament he has played this year, beating Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals before losing to world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz.

Djokovic, 38, returns to action at the Indian Wells Open for the first time since playing in Melbourne. The third-seed faces Kamil Majchrzak in round two following a first-round bye.

Before his tournament began, Djokovic discussed what spurs him on. Notably, it is not surpassing Margaret Court's Grand Slam record.

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He believes there is no justification for retirement whilst he still possesses the "fire" and "flair" to overcome the ATP Tour's elite. Djokovic said in California: "It was an incredible feeling to be able to beat Sinner in five sets in one of the epic matches that I played in recent times in Australia.

"And then have another great match with Carlos, who was just too good in the end. For me, that has been a phenomenal result.

"I have proven to myself primarily and to others that I can still compete at the highest level and beat these guys.

"So my logic is why not keep going as long as I have that fire and flair and quality and the motivation to do that." Despite participating in fewer tournaments than ever, Djokovic stands in third position in the ATP world rankings.

Focusing almost exclusively on Grand Slam events allows his body to recuperate between competitions. He believes that his standing is not "too bad" and the exhilaration of elite competition continues to fuel his desire to play, even as he nears his 39th birthday.

Djokovic added: "I really enjoy the thrill of competition. I enjoy still getting out there in front of the fans and being competitive.

"Still number three in the world. So I don't think it's too bad in terms of the ranking and results and performances, so I'm still competitive. I still have that edge, and I'll keep on going as long as I feel like it."

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Djokovic is not retiring anytime soon and on a similar subject, believes Serena Williams will be return to tennis. "I think she's coming back. I don't know, I haven't spoken to her, but I guess the sentiment is that she's coming back.

"Where and how, singles, doubles, we don't know, and if I'm in her position, I would hide it too. Yeah, everybody is excited, and it's definitely something that's very highly anticipated, so, you know, let's see."

He continued: "I think she might maybe play a doubles tournament or two with Venus. That would be nice to see, just from my point of view and tennis fans, for sure. Yeah, and she's one of the greatest athletes, really. It would be great to have her back, too."