Novak Djokovic issues fresh retirement update after 'setback' ahead of Australian Open

"That adrenaline rush, it's almost like a drug," he said.

The 38-year-old former world No 1 currently sits fourth in the global rankings and remains a genuine threat at Melbourne Park, where he has lifted the trophy on ten occasions.

Only defending champion Jannik Sinner and world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz are considered ahead of him among the favourites for this year's title.

Djokovic insisted he continues to live out his childhood ambitions.

"I'm still living my dream to be honest," the 10-time Melbourne champion declared on the eve of the tournament.

"It's passion and love for the game. It's the interaction with people. It's the energy that you feel when you walk out on the court.

"It's so addictive, you know, the feeling of competing."

With Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal having already ended their careers, Djokovic faces constant questions about his own exit.

He is, however, adamant that he's not ready to quit the sport just yet.

"I have been asked a lot about obviously when is the end date going to come for me, but I don't want to talk or think about it yet because I'm here, I'm competing," he responded.

Djokovic has reduced his tournament schedule in recent seasons and acknowledged that his body now requires extended periods to recuperate.

His last competitive match came in November after he experienced a 'setback'.

"Obviously took more time to rebuild my body, because I understand that in the last couple of years, that's what changed the most for me - takes more time to rebuild, and it also takes more time to reset or recover," he explained.

A minor physical issue forced him to withdraw from the Adelaide event ahead of the Australian Open.

However, he reported positive progress during his Melbourne preparations.

"Generally I feel good and look forward to competing," Djokovic said, despite experiencing daily niggles.

The 38-year-old also addressed his recent departure from the Professional Tennis Players Association, which he established alongside Canadian Vasek Pospisil in 2020 to provide independent representation for players.

The organisation's direction no longer matched his principles, he stated.

"It was a tough call for me to exit the PTPA, but I had to do that, because I felt like my name was ... overused," he revealed.

"I felt like people, whenever they think about PTPA, they think it's my organization, which is a wrong idea from the very beginning."

Despite stepping away, Djokovic maintains his belief in player-only representation within professional tennis.

How he fares at his favourite major this term remains to be seen.