A surprise from Novak Djokovic! Serbian tennis player changes plans for the American part of the season

The carousel on behalf of the ATP tour is moving to American soil and the hard surface is now taking over after grass. This week’s top event is the ATP 500-level tournament in Washington. In the next fortnight, it’s the “thousands” in Toronto and Cincinnati. These are where tennis legend Novak Djokovic’s surprising decision comes into play.

You won’t find a combination of such important tennis events on the ATP calendar. Two prestigious ATP 1000 level tournaments are followed in a week by the last grand slam of the season, the US Open. At these events, tennis fans usually look out for the best players.

First up is the tournament in Toronto, Canada, followed immediately by a move to US territory for the Cincinnati tennis event. It is these two events that Novak Djokovic’s decision concerns.

Djokovic’s plans

The tennis legend and the current number two player in the ATP rankings has previously announced that he will not participate in the event in Canada. The reason is the fatigue of the Serbian tennis player. But he will make up for it in Cincinnati.

He will not only play singles here, but also the doubles part of the event alongside his compatriot Nikola Čačić. Djokovic hasn’t played doubles at all for some time. He has played only two matches in doubles in the last two calendar years.

His future thirty-two year old partner, Cacic, on the other hand, is mostly devoted to doubles. He is ranked sixth in the ATP doubles rankings. The Serbian team composition for Cincinnati makes it clear what the motivation is for Djokovic’s move towards doubles.

The former world number one has confirmed his participation in this year’s Davis Cup. It will be held soon after the US Open and Djokovic is looking forward to it. And the next big event is coming up in leaps and bounds. The Summer Olympics in Paris are less than a year away.

Finally

Djokovic is a figure of historic importance in tennis. Only with the passage of time will most fans probably truly appreciate what the Serbian tennis player has actually achieved. Virtually every other tournament he participates in means an attack on the record.

The vision of success in Davis Cup and the Olympics is a huge motivation for him. And it is in this context that his focus on doubles must also be understood. Djokovic’s rivalry with Alcaraz is great, but it is the Serbian national team’s representation in the team competitions that makes it a very attractive addition.

And his first chapter will begin to be written in Cincinnati. The prestigious tennis event starts on August 13.

Sources: Eurosport, ATP