Novak Djokovic's chances of playing in 2026 Davis Cup outlined by Serbia's captain

Tuesday, 02 December 2025 at 19:30

byJordan Reynolds

Team Serbia's hopes of going far in the Davis Cup are always heavily dependent on Novak Djokovic's participation, and captain Viktor Troicki has discussed the likelihood of Djokovic playing next year.

The 2026 Davis Cup qualifiers will be played in the week after the 2026 Australian Open. Team Serbia is scheduled to face Chile away from home in front of what will undoubtedly be a fiercely partisan crowd.

South American crowds are renowned for their loud, passionate support of home players. Whoever represents Team Serbia will have to handle that challenge, as well as the quality of their Chilean opponents on the court.

Troicki recently spoke about Djokovic's chances of playing in an interview with El Mercurio. He says it is too early to know if his close friend will play, and he knows the team's strength is significantly enhanced when he participates.

"It is too early to say if Novak will be on the team. Definitely with him, we would be one of the strongest teams, and Novak has already helped us many times by winning his matches. We have to see after the Australian Open, depending on the result, how he fares and how he feels."

Djokovic has previously said that the Grand Slams and representing Serbia are what matter most to him at this late stage of his career, but the Majors undoubtedly carry the most importance despite how much he loves playing for his country.

Currently, the ten-time Australian Open men's singles champion is preparing for what he hopes will be another strong run in Melbourne. Some think the opening Grand Slam of 2025 represents his best chance of winning a 25th Major.

Djokovic's work for next year has begun at the training facility that he bought for a significant sum in Greece, where he now lives. At 38, the chances of him playing in the Davis Cup if he goes far at the Australian Open seem unlikely.

Serbian Davis Cup captain Viktor Troicki expects a difficult tie against Chile

In an interview with El Mercurio, Viktor Troicki said he knows the Chilean crowd will play a role in Team Serbia's away tie against Chile in February, but is confident that team members having experience of the South American ATP swing on clay will help.

"We assume the matches will be played on clay… some of our tennis players usually go to South America to play the Latin America Swing, so they are adapted to the clay court. It’s a very difficult series for both nations… I know how involved the crowd can be there."

It is always refreshing to have home-and-away ties in the Davis Cup. Some think that the Finals being played in one country with eight teams has taken some of the magic away from the event, since the atmospheres are often flat.

Former Team Great Britain captain John Lloyd gave a blunt assessment of the Davis Cup in a recent interview. He thinks it has become a joke, pointing to Jannik Sinner's decision to take an extra week of rest rather than compete in the 2025 Finals as an example.