Justin Engel has enjoyed a breakthrough start to his fledgling tennis career and has his sights set on one player in particular as he looks to reach the top of the sport.

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Novak Djokovic has been urged not to copy Rafael Nadal by retiring just yet (Image: (Image: Getty))

Tennis prodigy Justin Engel has made a heartfelt plea to Novak Djokovic, urging the tennis legend not to retire just yet.

The young German star, who recently joined Carlos Alcaraz in becoming one of the youngest winners on the ATP Tour, dreams of facing his idol Djokovic before the latter retires from the sport.

Engel, born in 2007, made history as the first player of his birth year to win an ATP Tour match, defeating Coleman Wong 7-5 6-4 at the Almaty Open as a wildcard.

Now 17, Engel is aiming higher in the rankings and hopes to face 37-year-old Djokovic in a competitive match.

“I hope he doesn’t retire like Rafa!” Engel expressed to tennis.com. “I hope he’s still playing when I’m playing. It would be so nice.”

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Justin Engel has enjoyed a breakthrough year on the ATP Tour (Image: (Image: Tennis TV))

In his quest to reach the top, Engel has been emulating Djokovic’s lifestyle. He shared: “I bought his book about what he eats and everything, so I also wanted to do like he does.”

When asked if he had managed to match Djokovic’s rigorous fitness regime, Engel humorously admitted: “Not close. I try my best, but I mean it’s pretty hard. I don’t eat so much sugar, almost nothing. But there’s also a lot of other things that I need to eat.”

Unlike many of his peers, Engel’s path to the ATP Tour was unconventional. He initially pursued a career in kickboxing but decided against turning professional due to the risks involved.

Horst, the father of rising tennis star Engel, was a former tennis player who retired at 17 and transitioned into coaching. He successfully guided ex-WTA ace Anca Barna into the world’s top 50 in 2004.

His influence on his son’s career is significant. “So that’s why I’m playing tennis now because my father thought, ‘Come on, now I have a kid, let’s try this again,'” Engel shared about his dad’s involvement.

“I also did kickboxing, was very good at it. I almost did it professionally but it was too dangerous for my tennis and so I stopped it.”

Engel aspires to follow in the footsteps of young stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, aged 21 and 23 respectively, who are making their mark at the top of the ATP rankings, succeeding the Big Three – Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer.