this year’s Davis Cup, scheduled to return in Valencia from September 13 to 18, is shaping up to be a pivotal moment for the national teams involved. Novak Djokovic, the familiar face at the top of world tennis for more than a decade, will not participate in the United States Open or in the Masters 1000 events in Canada and Cincinnati this season. The reason cited is not about form or fitness but a broader policy decision—Djokovic has not received a COVID-19 vaccine, which at the moment poses a barrier for entry into several countries in the tour calendar. Serbia, meanwhile, has opted to sit out the competition for what team officials described as personal reasons. The decision marks a pause in Djokovic’s busy schedule, with the door left open for potential future involvement depending on circumstances surrounding the team’s needs and the player’s health considerations.
Victor Troicki, the captain of the Serbian squad, spoke openly about the situation in a recent interview published in the weekly sports newspaper Zurnal. He stated that while Djokovic had contributed to the team in the past and remains an essential figure in Serbian tennis, this particular event would go ahead without his participation due to personal considerations. Troicki added that if the squad advances to the final rounds in Malaga, Djokovic could still join the team for those decisive matches, ensuring the country’s best chances of success while respecting the constraints that are currently in place.
Serbia is set to participate in the Valencia group stage alongside Spain as the host nation and will also face Canada and South Korea on Wednesday, September 14. The format of the Davis Cup divides teams into groups, with the winner of Group B earning a place in the grand finals of the salad bowl, to be played in Malaga. The group winners from Group A will compete in Bologna, a lineup that includes Argentina, Croatia, and Sweden. Group C fixtures take place in Hamburg with France, Australia, and Belgium in contention, while Group D is scheduled for Glasgow, featuring Great Britain, the United States, the Netherlands, and Kazakhstan. All group-stage ties are scheduled for September 13 to 18, creating a packed week of relays and high-stakes matches across multiple European venues.
Are you back in the Laver Cup?
Djokovic’s last official match came in the Wimbledon final on July 10, when he captured the title by defeating Australian Nick Kyrgios in a gripping final. His ongoing decision not to vaccinate has prevented him from competing in the Australian Open earlier this year and has also kept him away from the Masters 1000 events in Miami and Indian Wells. Yet the Serbian star is poised for a potential return at the Laver Cup, which is slated to take place at the O2 Arena in London from September 23 to 25. The event typically gathers a constellation of tennis luminaries, including Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray, who have become familiar faces with the competition’s team-based format and its global fan appeal. Djokovic’s presence at the Laver Cup would add a distinctive edge, given his recent form and the historical players who have shaped the event’s drama and excitement. The schedule, the global travel backdrop, and the era of the sport’s greats colliding in high-stakes team competition all contribute to a narrative that fans around North America and Europe have followed closely over the summer season.