Indian Wells? Turin? Innsbruck? When will we see Novak Djokovic again?
There are still a few points and titles to be awarded in the 2021 season. The question is which ones are of interest to Novak Djokovic.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Sep 16, 2021, 11:00 pm
Alex Corretja and Dominic Thiem agreed on the matter: The defeat of Novak Djokovic in the final of the US Open 2021 against Daniil Medvedev will not have any negative effects on the further chances of success of the number one in the world. Djokovic will return to the tennis tour stronger than ever, Thiem said in his analysis. The only question is: when and where?
There should be no question that this will be the case at the latest at the Australian Open in early 2021. Unless the requirements of the Australian authorities spoil Djokovic's preparation to such an extent that he does not travel down under. According to reports, vaccinated players should enjoy relief, Djokovic positioned himself quite early on as an athlete who was rather skeptical of a corona vaccination. There is little to suggest that this attitude has changed.
Three more big chances for Djokovic and Medvedev
So what could be the incentives to pick up the bat again this fall (Alex Corretja could also imagine a longer break)? Certainly the goal of being the first in the world rankings in winter 2021/22. Djokovic currently has almost 2,000 points ahead of Daniil Medvedev in the annual standings. Who could score three more times: in Indian Wells, in Paris-Bercy (where 1,500 points are waiting for the winner) and at the ATP Finals in Turin (1,500 for the champion).
Last year he showed that Medvedev can win in Bercy and at the finals. So you should assume that Novak Djokovic doesn't leave anything to chance here. And collect a few counters yourself.
And what about the final round of the Davis Cup, which starts for Serbia in Innsbruck? Actually, Djokovic has already rejected it. On the one hand, no one had expected to run for his home country in 2019. On the other hand, Djokovic said at his last press conference in New York that he still wanted to play for Serbia. However, it is easy to imagine that this could only be the case at the ATP Cup at the beginning of the 2022 season.