Djokovic wins doubles to secure Serbia’s place in World Group I

In the Davis Cup play-offs, Novak Djokovic’s Serbia won 3-0 against Greece, who playing in the absence of Stefanos Tsitsipas

Novak Djokovic, Davis Cup, 2023 © Imago / Panoramic

Mathieu Canac

September 15, 2024

“I thought one day I would need to look for motivation wherever it was, I was used to it coming naturally – automatically – but that hasn’t been the case in recent years. In order to extend my career, I need to have fun. My priority is to play for the national team and at Grand Slam tournaments. Everything else is less important.”

On Saturday, after dispatching Ioannis Xilas, the world 770, 6-0, 6-1 in 45 minutes, Novak Djokovic had again explained his priorities at this stage of his career. Teaming up the Serbian national team for the Davis Cup play-off against Greece this weekend, the 24-time Grand Slam champion married his two remaining goals – importance and pleasure.

Serbia remain in ‘World Group I’

Happy, as always, to represent his country and very warmly supported by the Belgrade crowd – a privilege he has little opportunity to enjoy on the circuit – the Olympic champion also played doubles on Sunday. With his partner Hamad Medjedović, a player whose career he supported financially, Djokovic secured the all-important third point to clinch a 3-0 victory over Greece.

Facing the Greek pair of Petros Tsitsipas and Aristotelis Thanos, the Serbian duo came through 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. It was surprisingly close, given that Thanos is 713th in the world in singles and 1263rd in doubles, while the youngest of the Tsitsipas siblings does not have an ATP ranking in singles, and is 77th in doubles.

Relaxed and smiling between almost every rally with Medjedović, Djokovic has now contributed to two of his country’s three points this weekend. Serbia will avoid the descent into the “second division”, and will instead be able to qualify for the Finals next year. Beaten, without their leader, by Slovakia in February, Serbia, semi-finalists in 2023, were one of the big absentees from the group stage this year.

Shanghai, and then only exhibitions in Djokovic’s Schedule (for now)

While he has admitted that he has not made qualifying for the ATP Finals a goal, Djokovic, currently 9th in the Race, has concocted a lighter program for the end of the season. After a charity exhibition with Grigor Dimitrov in Sofia on Tuesday, he is expected to play in the Shanghai Masters 1000 in October. With nothing planned for the future, and with the possibility of not playing again in 2024 outside of exhibition matches.

Djokovic has two exhibition events lined up between now and the end of the year. He is expected to play in Saudi Arabia in October for the ‘6 Kings Slam’ with Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune, then in Buenos Aires in December to play Juan Martín del Potro in ‘The Last Challenge’.