ATP Cup 2020: Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic among the top stars
By Chris Myson
Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic played as Serbia reached the quarterfinals in the Davis Cup and he will once again lead his country at the 2020 ATP Cup.
Dusan Lajovic and Nikola Milojevic join Djokovic as their country face France, South Africa and Chile in Brisbane.
France will be seen as their biggest rivals in Group A and the world number two is key to Serbia’s hopes, though Lajovic, who is 34th in the ATP rankings and did not play the Davis Cup, should be able to provide some decent support as well.
Djokovic did not have a vintage end to 2019 as he lost out at the ATP Finals but still enjoyed a magnificent year that saw him win two Grand Slams and close the gap on record holder Roger Federer to just four.
After taking part in this event, he will take the unusual step of playing the week before a major with his participation at the Adelaide International.
It means Djokovic, a recent semi-finalist at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, should have plenty of match practise under his belt before the start of the Australian Open in Melbourne on January 20.
That is the 32-year-old’s best major with a record seven titles already to his name and he will go in as favorite to retain his title, amid a significant threat from Nadal.
Djokovic will hope to have a title or two in his 2020 collection before the Australian Open, with his participation in the ATP Cup making it a winnable one for Serbia and giving us the prospect of some high-profile matchups.
“I love it,” Novak Djokovic said of the new format. “I’ve had an amazing 10 years in Australia going back to the first Grand Slam I won in Melbourne in 2008.
“And ever since then it’s been a love affair. I think it’s great for our sport that we have an innovation introduced in a country that loves tennis.”