Djokovic’s rest of season remains uncertain, the Serb should show up three times at least

“I am thinking solely about tomorrow and the next week. I am going to go back to Belgrade and see how I feel,” Novak Djokovic told Serbian reporters following his loss to Alexei Popyrin in the third round of the US Open.

By his own admission, Djokovic never served worse in his life, but he can’t quite determine the cause for 14 double faults – the most he has ever conceded in a Grand Slam match.

“I don’t know, to tell you the truth, I have no idea. My game just fell apart. I am not fresh. The conditions here were quick, totally opposite to those where I was practising. It was painful to play and feel like this on the court – at times, I felt like an amateur.

“But that’s the reality, part of sport. The Olympics were very emotionally draining, I was even thinking whether I should come to New York or not, but it’s a Slam. We move forward.”

The short-term plan is clear. Djokovic spoke numerous times about how his greatest motivation – apart from the Grand Slams – is playing for Serbia, so he’ll be in Belgrade on 14 – 15 September, when Serbia play Greece in the Davis Cup play-offs.

The next stop on Djokovic’s calendar is Shanghai (30 Sep – 13 Oct), a tournament he last participated in back in 2019. The Shanghai Masters wasn’t held for three years because of Covid, before returning to the ATP Tour calendar last year. Djokovic won four titles there, the last one in 2018, and he also has a huge fan base in China.

From Shanghai, Djokovic will travel to Saudi Arabia for the Six Kings Slam exhibition. Each player will be compensated with a staggering 1.5 million dollars for their participation, with the winner taking home six million dollars. He will be joined in Riyadh by Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune.

It remains to be seen what is in store for Djokovic after Saudi Arabia. He already confirmed that he won’t play the Serbia Open at the start of November.

Based on how he feels, Djokovic will then make the decision about playing in Bercy for the Paris Masters and potentially at the ATP Finals in Turin, if he qualifies – at this moment, he is seventh in the race.

For the first time since 2017, Djokovic will end the season without a major title to his name.

“I had the feeling that I could go all the way at Roland Garros, but then the injury occurred. I played finals at Wimbledon… The Olympics were my biggest goal, and I played my best tennis in Paris.

“If it’s that kind of year – me winning a golden Olympic medal without a Slam, I accept it because I’ve been waiting for that gold my whole life. It’s a fact that this is my worst season in terms of results in the last 15 years, I feel that way too, but it is what it is,” he concluded.

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