Novak Djokovic has vowed to play a trimmed-down schedule in 2024 as he targets the last remaining prizes in his career, yet he has now been presented with a dilemma that could end one of his last big dreams.
When Djokovic held three match points against Jannik Sinner in the Davis Cup semi-finals last November, he was within touching distance of what he openly admits is one of his final remaining tennis dreams.
The Serbian legend helped his nation to a thrilling Davis Cup final win against France back in 2010, with Djokovic winning two matches in the final against Giles Simon and Gael Monfils.
Now he has vowed to win the Davis Cup again before he retires, with his desire to reach that goal confirmed in several interviews last year.
“Davis Cup has been and is one of my greatest goals of this season and always is,” he said ahead of the Finals in Malaga last November.
“I was very young when I first played in the competition and it was a great honour.
“I got an invite from the captain to be part of the team. Davis Cup has been historically the most important team competition for nations in tennis and has been for over a hundred years.
“It is the most important one to win for any tennis nation in the world. So hopefully, almost 20 years later, we can have a chance at the title.
“The atmosphere in the Davis Cup is quite different from any other event and I always look forward to it.”
Novak Djokovic’s commitment to Serbia’s Davis Cup challenge was confirmed last September as he flew back from winning the US Open in New York and played for his country in their Finals Group Stage match against Spain.
Naturally, Djokovic won his singles match against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to ease Serbia into the Final 8 showdown in Malaga, where he had his chances to end Italy’s challenge long before they went on to lift the trophy.
Serbia’s Davis Cup misery was compounded last weekend when Djokovic opted against playing in their Qualifier tie against Slovakia and Viktor Troicki’s side slumped to a heavy defeat.
That ended Djokovic’s hopes of playing in the latter stages of this year’s Davis Cup and now he has to decide whether he may also have to give up on his ambition of winning the competition in 2025.
Serbia have been drawn against Greece in an enticing World Group I clash, with Stefanos Tsitsipas set to lead the Greek charge when they travel to Djokovic’s homeland in September.
If Greece were to prevail in this tie, Serbia would be out of contention to win the Davis Cup in 2025 and that would mean Djokovic would have to wait until the following year to challenge again.
He would be aged 39 by then and there is a good chance his days at the top of the game will be over.
Returning from the US Open and playing Davis Cup matches a few days later might not be ideal for Djokovic, but he has found space in his calendar for the lucrative ‘Saudi Slam’ exhibition event in October and now Serbia captain Troicki will need his star man playing against Tsitsipas and his Greek team-mates.
World Group I draw – ties to be played on either 13-14 or 14-15 September
Serbia v Greece
Croatia v Lithuania
Sweden v India
Kazakhstan v Denmark
Poland v Korea, Rep.
Switzerland v Peru
Egypt v Hungary
Norway v Portugal
Austria v Turkiye
Chinese Taipei v Bosnia and Herzegovina
Israel v Ukraine
Japan v Colombia
