Novak Djokovic will be one of several big names absent from this year’s Laver Cup after he was left out of the Team Europe squad. The veteran Serb is enduring a tricky spell at the moment, having failed to win a title of any kind since his triumph at the ATP Finals in November.
Djokovic reached his first Grand Slam final of 2024 at Wimbledon but was outplayed by Carlos Alcaraz, who breezed to victory in straight sets. He is also no longer the world’s top-ranked player, with Jannik Sinner at the summit ahead of Djokovic and Alcaraz.
It has now been confirmed that Djokovic will play no part at the Laver Cup after being left out of Bjorn Borg’s six-man squad, although it is not clear why. At 37 years of age, the competition may not be a priority for him at this late stage of his career.
On Wednesday, it was announced by Team Europe that Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas would be the final two players to complete their line-up.
They will join Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev and Rafael Nadal to form one of the strongest Laver Cup teams in history. Team World, meanwhile, will be represented by Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton with the final two places yet to be announced.
Djokovic will not be the only high-profile absentee from the Laver Cup, with Andy Murray and Andrey Rublev also being left out by Team Europe. Sinner is another player who will not feature despite pulling away from Djokovic at the top of the world rankings.
His run to the Wimbledon final came just weeks after he underwent knee surgery after suffering a meniscus tear at the French Open. Speaking after his defeat to Alcaraz, Djokovic admitted that he does not yet feel ready to mix it with the sport’s brightest talents.
“Being able to reach the final at Wimbledon is a great confidence boost, but I feel that I am not at the level needed to beat the best in the world,” he said.
To have a chance to beat Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who are the best this year by far, in the final stages of a Slam or at the Olympics I will have to play much better. I will work. We are not talking about something I have never faced before. In adversity, I usually learn lessons and become stronger.”
Djokovic will return to action at the Olympics later this month, where he will represent Serbia in the singles event alongside Dusan Lajovic.
“I hope to have the opportunity to fight for a medal for my country,” he added. “It will be on a completely different surface, returning to the place where I got injured a few weeks ago. We will see how I feel physically and mentally.
“I hope I can find my best tennis, because I will need everything I have and more to reach the final of the Olympic Games. As for returning to Wimbledon, I would definitely like that. I don’t think this is my last Wimbledon for a moment. I really want to play again, I have no limits in my mind.
