Almost everyone thought that Novak Djokovic would return to action at the Cincinnati Masters 1000 after missing the Canadian Open, where he has not played since 2018, instead the Serbian legend has announced that he will not be present in Ohio from August 7 to 18 either.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion took a long break after the Wimbledon Championships, in which he reached the semifinals playing good tennis but lost decisively to the current world number 1 Jannik Sinner just as he had happened at Roland Garros.
The 38-year-old from Belgrade was not at the top of his shape against the Italian ace due to a muscle problem and during his last press conference he admitted that his body has worsened compared to a few years ago, an additional limitation that adds to the fact that he has to compete against opponents much younger than him.
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Djokovic against Serbian government
The former world No.1 will return to action directly at the US Open at the end of the summer and will try to win the 25th Major title of a truly incredible career from all points of view. Nole is expected to arrive in New York earlier than usual, as he will also participate in the mixed doubles tournament together with Olga Danilovic.
A couple of days ago, the news became official that the Belgrade ATP owned by Novak's family will move to Athens and will take place from November 2 to 8 at the OAKA Arena. This decision is linked to the contrasts that emerged between Djokovic and the Serbian government, after Novak came out in favor of the student protests against President Vucic.
According to top analyst Jaschar Drugalic in the German newspaper 'Neue Zurcher Zeitung', the Serbian media's narrative about Djokovic has definitely changed after the news of Belgrade ATP's transfer to Greece. In particular, Nole has been defined by many as a false patriot and his decision to establish relations with the Greek government did not please his country.
