“For the first time in my career, I don’t have long-term plans” – Djokovic to play Shanghai and Saudi exhibition as of now
The Serb says he wants to be more around in the daily lives of his family
Novak Djokovic, US Open 2024
Image Credit: Antoine Couvercelle / Panoramic
Novak Djokovic took to the court in Sofia on Tuesday for an exhibition match against local favourite Grigor Dimitrov. Speaking to the media prior to the match, the Serb reiterated that he was unsure about his plans beyond playing the Shanghai Masters and an exhibition match in Saudi Arabia in December.
“For the first time in my career, I don’t have long-term plans. I live in the present moment and I will see what happens. Today, I will play in Sofia against Grigor, then in China, and then at an exhibition tournament in Saudi Arabia,” the 24-time Grand Slam champion said as quoted by L’Equipe. “After that, I don’t know. We’ll see how I feel and we’ll judge from there. Family life is very important to me. I want to be with my wife and children, be part of their daily lives, which I have not been able to do for many years.”
A few days ago, Djokovic said he would not chase a spot in the season-ending ATP Finals and that the Grand Slams and Davis Cup would remain a priority for him in the coming years.
“Torino is not my goal at all, to be honest, I am not chasing ATP Finals, I am not chasing the rankings etc,” he had stated during the Davis Cup a few days ago. “As far as I am concerned, I am done with those tournaments for my career (smiling). Whether I will play other tournaments this year or in the future, I can’t say right now. My main priorities are playing for the national team and Slams, everything else is less important.”
Dimitrov beats Djokovic in Sofia exhibition
On the court on Tuesday, Dimitrov defeated Djokovic 6-4, 2-6, 10-6 in front of a sold out crowd in Sofia. Both players entertained the crowd and put on a good show for the fans in Bulgaria.
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