Serbia’s Novak Djokovic celebrates on the finish of his males’s singles semifinal tennis match between Croatia and Serbia of the Davis Cup tennis event on the Madrid area in Madrid on December 3, 2021. (Picture by OSCAR DEL POZO / AFP)
Novak Djokovic ended his rollercoaster season with a Davis Cup defeat on Friday after which promised to decide on his Australian Open participation “very quickly.”
The world primary, who captured three of the season’s 4 Grand Slams in 2021 to take him degree with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on 20, remains to be a doubt for January’s Australian Open after organizers insisted solely fully-vaccinated gamers shall be allowed into the nation.
The 34-year-old has refused to say whether or not or not he has been vaccinated towards coronavirus.
“I perceive you need solutions on the place and the way I’m going to begin the brand new season, however we’ll see what the longer term holds,” mentioned Djokovic, a report nine-time champion in Melbourne.
“I can’t provide you with a date, however clearly the Australian Open is coming quickly, so you’ll know very quickly.”
He added: “I’ll attempt to use the following few days to get well, relaxation and overlook about tennis. I’m actually drained from this season and all this yr.”
Djokovic’s dream of including a second Davis Cup to his 20 Grand Slam titles was shattered when Serbia was defeated by Croatia within the semifinals in Madrid on Friday.
Djokovic and associate Filip Krajinovic misplaced 7-5, 6-1 to top-ranked Mate Pavic and Nikola Mektic, the Olympic and Wimbledon champions, within the decisive doubles rubber.
Djokovic had earlier defeated Marin Cilic for the 18th time to maintain Serbia alive.
The world primary, unbeaten in singles within the event since 2011, triumphed 6-4, 6-2. It was his nineteenth successive Davis Cup singles win.
“The season ends at this time. I don’t remorse any event I’ve performed. I did my greatest as at all times,” added Djokovic.
‘Climbing Mount Everest’
“Sadly, a singles victory just isn’t sufficient. I attempt to study particularly from tough instances like this. As painful as they’re, these are normally the best alternatives to get stronger and develop.”
Djokovic closed his 2021 season having agonizingly missed out on the primary calendar Grand Slam by a male participant in additional than half a century when he misplaced the ultimate of the US Open.
His hopes of a primary Olympic singles gold medal had been additionally dashed in Tokyo.
Nevertheless, he nonetheless ended 2021 having claimed the year-ending world primary rating for a report seventh time and can on Monday mark a complete of 350 weeks within the high spot.
Djokovic additionally prolonged his report Masters assortment to 37 titles.
Djokovic, who performed within the Serbia staff which gained its first and solely Davis Cup in 2010, mentioned that his staff must discover a dependable doubles pairing if they’re ever to win a second title.
“We knew from the beginning that this match can be probably the most tough of the tie,” he mentioned.
“We knew that if it was counting on doubles, we wouldn’t be the favorites, as a result of we performed the most effective pair on the planet, gamers who play collectively on a regular basis, who know one another very properly, who’re doubles specialists, who solely deal with that.
“To win the Davis Cup, you want a doubles staff, in any other case will probably be very tough, it’s a lottery. It’s like climbing Mount Everest.”
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