TENNIS
Djokovic, ready to play the Davis Cup with Serbia
The US Open champion will help his Serbian teammates in the Davis Cup instead of taking some time off after two all-action weeks in New York.
Novak Djokovic decided to take a rest right after losing the Wimbledon final to Carlos Alcaraz in July. That time out of the courts helped him to spend time with his family and friends and to get ready for Cincinnati and the US Open.
Now, though, his plans are different. The 24-time major champion is already in Valencia, ready to help Serbia in their quest for the title in the Davis Cup.
Although the current world No. 1 didn’t play in Serbia’s openers on Tuesday against South Korea, he will feature in Friday and Saturday’s duels against Spain and the Czech Republic, respectively.
“We can’t wait to have him for Friday. It definitely takes a little bit of the pressure off since he always carried the team so well (...)”, said his teammate Miomir Kecmanovic before facing South Korea.
Djokovic’s calendar: Shanghai or Paris before the ATP Nitto Finals?
After his participation in the Davis Cup, Djokovic is expected to take a rest, but he will also need to play some tournaments to get to the ATP Nitto Finals in top shape.
What seems to be a sure thing is that he won’t take part in this year’s Laver Cup, which will take place in Vancouver from September 22-24.
He hasn’t registered for the ATP 500 China Open, which will be held September 28, but he’s on the entry list for the Shanghai Masters. However, it’s unclear whether he will play it.
“I know he is going to the Davis Cup, after that, he should rest well and regroup”, said Goran Ivanisevic to Sportklub.
“I don’t think he will go to China, but he will have to play at least one more event before Turin and the finals. Maybe Paris”, he added.
While it remains to be seen if Djokovic finally competes in Shanghai, he will likely play in Paris, as it’s the last 1000 Masters tournament of the year, and will have the chance to play against some of the best players days before the ATP Nitto Finals in Turin.