Team Serbia will hope Novak Djokovic makes himself available for the entire Davis Cup this year after getting a brutal draw that might lead to a tie against Carlos Alcaraz's Spain.
Djokovic did not compete in last year's qualifiers. Its scheduling a few days before the Australian Open each year makes it challenging for the 37-year-old to feature at this late stage of his career because of the physical toll of Grand Slams.
Serbian fans might gain some hope from Djokovic's comments after helping his country qualify for next year's qualifiers in September when he said the four Grand Slams and representing Serbia were his most significant priorities.
All teams hoping to win the 2025 Davis Cup must stop Italy's dominance of the competition. Jannik Sinner's victory in the final against the Netherlands secured back-to-back titles for him and his country.
Team Spain was among the favorites and had the support of millions worldwide at this year's Davis Cup Finals because Rafael Nadal made the last appearance of his legendary career on home soil in Malaga.
Unfortunately for him, he lost what turned out to be his final singles match against Botic van de Zandschulp. Then, Alcaraz and Marcel Granollers lost in the doubles to Wesley Koolhof and van de Zandschulp, eliminating Team Spain and ending Nadal's career.
Alcaraz might feel he has unfinished business after that desperately disappointing moment in Malaga, but his involvement in the qualifiers from January 31st to February 2nd might also depend on how far he goes at the Australian Open, which ends on January 26th.
If Djokovic does compete in the qualifiers, he will face Denmark with Serbia. How formidable the Danish team is heavily depends on Holger Rune's involvement, who has had some memorable battles with Djokovic in the past.
That includes beating the 24-time Grand Slam to claim his only Masters 1000 title. Rune has struggled for consistency since after making several coaching changes, but the 21-year-old insists he is happy with Lars Christensen after hiring him for a third time.
Team Spain will face Switzerland in the qualifiers. Switzerland won the 2014 Davis Cup after being inspired by Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka, but their team is not as formidable after Federer's retirement and Wawrinka now being nearly 40.
If Serbia and Spain overcome those challenges, they will meet in the second round. The entire tennis world would tune in if Djokovic and Alcaraz competed against each other at that stage in September.
They have enjoyed some epic battles, including Alcaraz's five-set 2023 Wimbledon triumph and Djokovic's win in the Cincinnati Open final the following month in a deciding set tiebreak after one of the best Masters 1000 matches ever.
Djokovic begins the 2025 season with something to prove after failing to win a Grand Slam in 2024 for the first time since 2017. The legendary Serbian shocked tennis fans worldwide by hiring his former rival Andy Murray as coach until at least the end of the 2025 Australian Open.
Whether Djokovic and Murray are still working together for the Davis Cup qualifiers and beyond remains to be seen.