Djokovic to play in revamped Davis Cup

“Djokovic will participate in the final tournament in Madrid. I had the opportunity to discuss it with him in New York,” Serbia coach Nenad Zimonjic said in a statement. The Serb is currently defending his title in New York at the US open. “It’s a huge boost to have Djokovic. I am very happy to see him join the team after a long absence,” added Zimonjic.

The 32-year-old, who led Serbia to a maiden Davis Cup in 2010, hasn’t played in the tournament since 2017, when Serbia qualified for the semi-finals by defeating Spain 4-1. Last year, he did not show much enthusiasm for the new Davis Cup format. Last October, Djokovic had said he was unsure about his participation given the competition’s proximity to the rival ATP World Team Cup at the start of the 2020 season.

“I just feel like the dates of the Davis Cup is really bad, especially for the top players,” he had stated at that time. Serbia will play its first Davis Cup match against Japan on November 20 before facing France the following day. Prior to that, Djokovic is expected to play in the London Masters, the final of which is set for November 17, according to the Serbian tennis federation.