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As Novak Djokovic stood basking in the familiar feeling of being crowned US Open champion, his beaten opponent Daniil Medvedev threw out an offhand comment in his on-court interview.
"I want to ask Novak, what are you still doing here?" Medevev said, having tasted defeat to the Serbian great for the second time in a grand slam final.
It's something 36-year-old Djokovic clearly thinks about too.
"Occasionally I'm asking myself, 'Why do I need this still at this stage after all I have done? How long do I want to keep going?'," Djokovic said in his post-match press conference.
"I do have these questions in my head, of course.
"But knowing that I play at such a high level still and I win the biggest tournaments in this sport … I don't want to leave this sport if I'm still at the top."
And make no mistake. Djokovic is still at the very top.
By winning his 24th grand slam singles crown in front of the New York crowd on Sunday night, Djokovic has tied the record held by Australian Margaret Court.
Only Serena Williams (23), Stefi Graf (22) Rafael Nadal (22) and Roger Federer (20) even come close in the open era.
Djokovic stands alone, the best of his generation. Given the competition he faced, probably the best of all time.
"I mean, 24," Medvedev said at the trophy presentation.
"I feel like I have not a bad career and I have 20 titles. You have 24 grand slams. Wow."
Medvedev had another question for Djokovic at the trophy presentation: "I don't know when you are planning to slow down a little bit?"
It's a question plenty of the new guard of men's tennis must still be asking themselves as Djokovic continues to hoover up titles at an unprecedented rate against men almost a decade (or more) younger than him.
Djokovic's continued excellence is further extending the era of the big three into its third decade.
Between the three of them, Djokovic, Nadal and Federer claimed 65 of the 80 grand slam tournaments prior to this US Open.
But while Federer retired on 20 and Nadal seems set to battle with his body while set on 22, Djokovic has marched on and on and on.
Of the 22 grand slams that have been held since Federer last won the Australian Open in 2018, Djokovic has won 12 and Nadal six.
Williams might be this generation's most comparable player to Djokovic's dominance, seeing off challenger after challenger through sheer bloody-mindedness, hard work and overwhelming skill, coupled with a longevity that his rivals can only marvel at.
"From one side I can say I beat Novak in a grand slam final, that is the pinnacle of my career so far," Medvedev said.
"But I played five finals against him and Rafa [Nadal] and I only managed to win one of them so I don't know if it's good or bad [rivalry]."
To call it a rivalry is arguably too strong. At the moment it's simply an aberration.
After that memorable victory at Flushing Meadows in 2021, where Medvedev ended Djokovic's historic quest for a calendar grand slam, the Russian was supposed to lead the new guard in filling the vacuum created by the retirement and gradual decline of the big three.
Instead he, and the rest of his generation — Alex Zverev and Stef Tsitsipas to name but two — have failed to take their chance and Djokovic has just rolled onwards to greatness.
That changing of the guard moment passed.
Another has since presented itself this year at Wimbledon when Carlos Alcaraz stepped up to Djokovic's level and bested him, the Spanish teen becoming the only player to win multiple slams aside from the big three, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka since Marat Safin in 2005.
But one victory does not indicate a trend, as Medvedev knows only too well.
"Novak, when he loses, he's never the same after," Medvedev said before the match.
"He's going to be 10 times better than he was that day. I want to still beat him. [I have to be] 10 times better than I was that day."
Spoiler alert: Medvedev was not. Then again, neither was Djokovic, but then again, he didn't need to be.
Now, with the outright record of grand slam titles within touching distance in a handful of months at his most profitable slam in Melbourne, a place where he won 10 titles, there's no sign of him slowing down.
"To make history on this court is truly remarkable and special, in every way and every meaning of the word special," Djokovic said.
"I had a dream when I was seven, I wanted to become the best player in the world and win Wimbledon that was the only thing I wanted.
"But I started to dream new dreams, I never imagined that I would be here talking about 24 slams, I never thought that would be the reality, but the last couple of years I've felt I have a chance and I have a shot at history and why not grab it."
This was the third time in his career that he has made all four grand slam finals in a single season — two of those coming in the last three years.
Djokovic has always been conscious of his greatness, or at the very least his potential for greatness, but now he knows he is on the cusp of brilliance.
"I really did my best in the last 48 hours not to allow the importance of the moment and what's on the line get to my head," Djokovic said.
"Two years ago that's what happened, and I underperformed and I wasn't able to be at my best and I was outplayed.
"So I learned my lesson."
Still learning. Still dominant. And still world number one, a position he will return to when the rankings are released on Monday.
"Eventually one day I will leave tennis — in about 23, 24 years," Djokovic said with a smile.
"Until then, I guess you'll see me a bit more.
"I don't put any number right now in my mind on how many slams I want to win.
"I'll continue to prioritise them as my most important tournaments and where I want to play the best tennis."
I guess that means we'll see Djokovic in Melbourne where more history, and greatness continues to beckon.
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