Djokovic's Brother Admits He Wanted To Bring Nadal To Tournament In Belgrade

Novak Djokovic's brother, Djordje, is the tournament director of the Belgrade Open. He revealed that attempts were made to get Rafael Nadal to appear at the event.

Last week's Belgrade Open was one of the final two ATP 250 tournaments of 2024. The other was the Moselle Open in Metz, which home favorite Benjamin Bonzi won by defeating Cameron Norrie in the final.

Denis Shapovalov secured the Belgrade Open title. The Canadian overcame Hamad Medjedovic in the final to finish what had been a tough season for the 2021 Wimbledon semifinalist on a high.

That success meant Shapovalov rose steeply in the latest ATP rankings. By contrast, Djokovic fell after dropping the points he earned from winning last year's ATP Finals.

After withdrawing from this year's iteration of the season-ending tournament, the Serbian will not have a chance to compensate for that ranking drop. He has chosen instead to think ahead to the 2025 Australian Open.

However, Djokovic did thrill fans in Belgrade by making an appearance on the second day of the Belgrade Open. The 24-time Grand Slam champion signed autographs for the fans who gathered.

Djokovic did not compete on the court at the Belgrade Open. Although he is a patriotic guy who loves his country, it is understandable that the 37-year-old does not want to compete at ATP 250 tournaments at this stage of his career.

The tennis legend may have come to greet the fans regardless, but brother Djordje, being the tournament director, might have played a role since Djokovic likely wanted to support his family member in some way since he did not play at the tournament.

Novak's presence was helpful, but Djordje revealed he had other plans to make the event even more significant by inviting Nadal to appear. He and his old rival Djokovic doing so together would have attracted much attention.

Unsurprisingly, Nadal, who will make his final appearance before retirement at the Davis Cup Finals this month, did not accept the offer. But Djordje said it was worth asking since having Grand Slam champions at the tournament makes a substantial difference.

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Nadal did not play at the recent Paris Masters to say goodbye to the fans in the city after winning 14 French Opens at Roland-Garros. Therefore, it was always doubtful that he would appear in Belgrade to make an appearance on or off the court.

Wawrinka and Cilic did appear, though. Neither man went far in the draw, but Djordje is correct in that the crowds were impressive in their matches. This was especially true for Wawrinka's battle with home player Laslo Djere.

As expected, the next and final tournament fans will see Nadal competing professionally at is the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga.

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