Novak Djokovic elected to delay his rest after the 2023 US Open final to help Serbia secure a spot in the Davis Cup Finals knockout stage.
It's been a very interesting week for Djokovic, who made his way from New York back home to Belgrade. He got a hero's welcome there and celebrated with his countrymen, winning the US Open a few days before that.
He didn't go on vacation after that but instead to Valencia, where he planned to play a few matches to help his country secure a spot in the knockout stages of the Davis Cup Finals. He wants to win the competition with Serbia once more, having led the country to the top many years ago.
He did that by securing a big point against Spain, though the other results greatly helped their efforts in the group - namely, Spain losing all of their matches on home soil. Carlos Alcaraz not playing was a big reason for that, making what Djokovic did look even better in comparison.
Here we have a 36-year-old player who has won everything possible, opting to play for his country despite being tired, fatigued, and emotionally drained. He could have easily opted to skip the whole event, but he didn't, and the significance of that was pointed out by tennis journalist Jon Wertheim on X (formerly Twitter).
Have we, as a tennis community, done enough to note/applaud Djokovic getting to Valencia for Davis Cup days after winning his 24th Major?
Former ATP player Mardy Fish responded to that comment by praising Djokovic's dedication to his country, something you can't say for all tennis players. Mardy Fish would know a thing or two about that, having served as the Team Captain for the United States for a while.
We haven’t. The pride he has playing for his nation is unrivaled. Respect @DjokerNole.
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