Novak Djokovic is playing the Davis Cup this weekend and had no problems in his singles match against Greece, which lacks its number 1 Stefanos Tsitsipas. The 37-year-old from Belgrade has had the chance to say goodbye to his fans and play in Serbia for the first time in many years (due to the change of format of the event).
The former world number 1 struggled to find the right motivation for much of this year, failing several tournaments and suffering many unexpected losses. Serbian legend has not won an ATP title this year, missed four of the seven Masters 1000 players and reached only one Grand Slam final at the Wimbledon Championships (lost to Carlos Alcaraz).
His main goal in 2024 was the Paris Olympics, where he finally won the gold medal shocking the whole world. The final of the Olympic tournament against Alcaraz was probably the best match of this year and glued to the TV many viewers. The 24-time Grand Slam champion struggled to digest that triumph and did not make it to the US Open, where he was defeated by Australian ace Alexei Popyrin in the third round. Novak will play a performance with Grigor Dimitrov this month, before the Masters 1000 in Shanghai.
Nole has very clear ideas
At this time, Djokovic would not qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. The former world number 1 has played poorly and badly this year, slipping way back in the ATP Race. The 24-time Grand Slam champion beat the World No.770 in Davis Cup, Ioannis Xilas, losing only one game (6-0 6-1 the final score). Novak Djokovic spoke to the media and was very clear in his answers about what his priorities are at this point in his career.
When asked what it means to play with Serbia, he said: “Words are not necessary, the facts speak for themselves. I think my commitment says it all. With the new format, I have fewer opportunities to play at home. I don’t know how long I will play tennis, but as long as I do, playing for Serbia will always be a priority”.
About the motivations he still finds: “Weeks like this are a motivation for me and help me to continue, they are like an inspiration. If I want to prolong my career I have to enjoy it, and on days like these you get butterflies in your stomach, when I feel that it is not so, then it’s over for me”.
After the US Open, Djokovic dropped to number 4 in the world, he is not yet sure of the qualification for Turin but on these aspects, the Serbian top-ranked player was very clear explaining how now so many tournaments are no longer his priority. Djokovic will return to the Shanghai Masters 1000 after several years then should play only the other 1000 in Paris-Bercy. “I do not know when I will play after the Shanghai Masters 1000 – said Djokovic – my priority are only the Slam and the national matches. The ATP Finals and being at the top of the leaderboard are no longer goals for me. I don’t know if I will play the finals this year or next, but what I need most now is physical, mental and emotional rest to decide what are my career prospects, how much I want to play again and where”.
Next year will be crucial to understand the real ambitions of Nole. The Serbian champion will try to add at least one more Major to his amazing palmarés, but it will not be easy to achieve this feat by playing a few tournaments and against opponents much younger than him.
2025 will be very important
During a recent interview with Sport Klub, former American ace James Blake commented on Novak’s future: “Everything depends on Novak. Physically, he is still impeccably fit. Now the only question is whether he wants to. He has done and won everything in this sport. He still has that fire when he wakes up. Does he still want to sacrifice everything to continue to be the best? He has been doing this for almost the last 20 years. If he wants, then he certainly has, I won’t prejudge, but one or two good years. His level of tennis is incredible even at 37 years old. The question is not whether he can, but whether he wants to. If he wants to, he will be a candidate for Grand Slam titles by the time he is 40.”
Djokovic will have a great chance especially at the Australian Open – where he will try to win his eleventh title – and at the Wimbledon Championships.