Novak Djokovic confirms big target for 2025 as Nick Kyrgios accepts Lleyton Hewitt call
Novak Djokovic has identified Davis Cup glory with Serbia as one of his last big targets in tennis and now it has been confirmed that he will play a full part in their team in 2025.
Djokovic stated that he was struggling to maintain his motivation for events outside of the Grand Slams and when representing Serbia in 2024, with is one big success last year coming when he was wearing national team colours in the Paris Olympic Games final against Carlos Alcaraz.
Last September, he openly admitted his desire to play in regular ATP Tour events is now waning in comments that led many to speculate that his career may be coming to an end.
“As far as I am concerned, I am done with those tournaments for my career,” he said referring to his decision not to play in the ATP Finals. “Whether I will play in other tournaments this year or in the future, I can’t say right now.
“My main priorities are playing for Serbia and Slams. Everything else is less important.”
Now Djokovic is set to continue his mission to play for Serbia through to the end of his career after he committed to playing in the Davis Cup tie against Denmark at the end of January.
The tie in Copenhagen takes place on January 31-February 1 and will be a relatively quick turnaround if Djokovic performs well and reaches the latter stages of the Australian Open.
Yet with world No 13 Holger Rune named in the Denmark line-up for this tie, Djokovic will play in a Serbia team that also features Miomir Kecmanovic, Dusan Lajovic, Hamad Medjedovic and Laslo Djere.
Djokovic came close to guiding Serbia to Davis Cup glory in November 2023, but he missed the chance to convert three match points in his semi-final clash against Jannik Sinner and went on to lose the match as Italy stormed back to win the competition.
The draw has not been kind to Serbia in this year’s Davis Cup and they could face a Spain side led by Carlos Alcaraz if they get through to the next phase of the competition.
Djokovic has a sensational 41-8 winning record in Davis Cup singles matches and if he can add to that record in the next few months, he could have a shot of firing Serbia to glory in Bologna in November.
Last year’s semi-finalists, Australia, welcome back a familiar face as Nick Kyrgios returns to the fold for their match-up against Sweden.
The 2022 Wimbledon runner-up last played for his country in 2019 and it will be interesting to see how Aussie skipper Lleyton Hewitt uses the players at his disposal with Alex de Minaur, Jordan Thompson and Thanasi Kokkinakis also named to play.
It will also see Kyrgios working with the Australia captain for the first time since he criticised Hewitt’s teenage son Cruz for practising with Jannik Sinner ahead of the Australian Open.
Kyrgios has been an outspoken critic of Sinner since he failed two drug tests last year and was not impressed by young Hewitt sharing a court with the world No 1.
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France have named a full-strength side as Paul-Henri Mathieu’s team were handed a tricky draw against Brazil, with world No 14 Ugo Humbert and No 20 Arthur Fils strong options in singles.
Alcaraz is a notable absentee from the Spain side for this phase of the competition, while Sinner’s Italy have been given a bye to the next phase as defending champions.
The full list of players announced is as follows:
Norway v Argentina
Dates: Thursday 30-Friday 31 January
Venue: Fjellhammar Arena, Oslo (hard, indoors)
Norway
Casper Ruud
Nicolai Budkov Kjaer
Viktor Durasovic
Leyton Rivera
Lukas Hellum Lilleengen
Captain: Anders Haseth
Argentina
Francisco Cerundolo
Tomas Etcheverry
Mariano Navone
Horacio Zeballos
Andres Molteni
Captain: Javier Frana
Sweden v Australia
Dates: Friday 31 January-Saturday 1 February
Venue: The Royal Tennis Hall, Stockholm (hard, indoors)
Sweden
Elias Ymer
Leo Borg
Andre Goransson
Filip Bergevi
Captain: Simon Aspelin
Australia
Alex De Minaur
Jordan Thompson
Thanasi Kokkinakis
Nick Kyrgios
Captain: Lleyton Hewitt
Belgium v Chile
Dates: Saturday 1-Sunday 2 February
Venue: Sporthal Alverberg, Hasselt (hard, indoors)
Belgium
Zizou Bergs
Raphael Collignon
Alexander Blockx
Sander Gille
Joran Vliegen
Captain: Steve Darcis
Chile
Alejandro Tabilo
Nicolas Jarry
Cristian Garin
Tomas Barrios Vera
Matias Soto
Captain: Nicolas Massu
Canada v Hungary
Dates: Saturday 1-Sunday 2 February
Venue: IGA Stadium, Montreal (hard, indoors)
Canada
Denis Shapovalov
Gabriel Diallo
Alexis Galarneau
Vasek Pospisil
Liam Draxl
Captain: Frank Dancevic
Hungary
Fabian Marozsan
Marton Fucsovics
Zsombor Piros
Mate Valkusz
Adam Jilly
Captain: Kornel Bardoczky
Austria v Finland
Dates: Friday 31 January-Saturday 1 February
Venue: Multiversum Schwechat, Schwechat (clay, indoors)
Austria
Jurij Rodionov
Lukas Neumayer
Filip Misolic
Lucas Miedler
Alexander Erler
Captain: Jurgen Melzer
Finland
Otto Virtanen
Eero Vasa
Oskari Paldanius
Harri Heliovaara
Patrik Niklas-Salminen
Captain: Jarkko Nieminen
Israel v Germany
Dates: Friday 31 January-Saturday 1 February
Venue: TBC
Teams will be announced once the venue and surface for this tie are confirmed.
Japan v Great Britain
Dates: Friday 31 January-Saturday 1 February
Venue: Bourbon Beans Dome, Miki (hard, indoors)
Japan
Yoshito Nishioka
Taro Daniel
Kei Nishikori
Yosuke Watanuki
Takeru Yuzuki
Captain: Go Soeda
Great Britain
Cameron Norrie
Jacob Fearnley
Billy Harris
Neal Skupski
Captain: Leon Smith
Chinese Taipei v USA
Dates: Friday 31 January-Saturday 1 February
Venue: Taipei Tennis Center, Taipei City (hard, indoors)
Chinese Taipei
Tseng Chun-Hsin
Wi Tung-Lin
Hsu Yu-Hsiou
Huang Tsung-Hao
Ray Ho
Captain: Lu Yen-Hsun
USA
Alex Michelsen
Marcos Giron
Mackenzie McDonald
Rajeev Ram
Austin Krajicek
Captain: Bob Bryan
Czechia v Korea, Rep.
Dates: Friday 31 January-Saturday 1 February
Venue: RT Torax Arena – Sareza, Ostrava (hard, indoors)
Czechia
Jiri Lehecka
Tomas Machac
Jakub Mensik
Adam Pavlasek
Maxim Mrva
Captain: Tomas Berdych
Korea, Rep.
Kwon Soonwoo
Gerard Campana Lee
Shin Sanhui
Nam Jisung
Chung Yun Seong
Captain: Chung Jongsam
Denmark v Serbia
Dates: Friday 31 January-Saturday 1 February
Venue: Royal Arena, Copenhagen (hard, indoors)
Head-to-head: Denmark lead 3-1
Denmark
Holger Rune
Elmer Moeller
August Holmgreen
Johannes Ingildsen
Captain: Frederik Nielsen
Serbia
Novak Djokovic
Miomir Kecmanovic
Dusan Lajovic
Hamad Medjedovic
Laslo Djere
Captain: Viktor Troicki
Switzerland v Spain
Dates: Saturday 1-Sunday 2 February
Venue: Swiss Tennis Arena, Biel (hard, indoors)
Switzerland
Jerome Kym
Marc-Andrea Huesler
Remy Bertola
Dominic Stricker
Captain: Severin Luthi
Spain
Pedro Martinez
Roberto Carballes Baena
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
Pablo Carreno Busta
Captain: David Ferrer
Croatia v Slovakia
Dates: Friday 31 January-Saturday 1 February
Venue: Dvorana Gradski vrt, Osijek (hard, indoors)
Croatia
Duje Ajdukovic
Marin Cilic
Borna Gojo
Mate Pavic
Nikola Mektic
Captain: Velimir Zovko
Slovakia
Jozef Kovalik
Lukas Klein
Milos Karol
Norbert Gombos
Alex Molcan
Captain: Tibor Toth
France v Brazil
Dates: Saturday 1-Sunday 2 February
Venue: Palais des Sports Jean Ros, Orleans (hard, indoors)
France
Ugo Humbert
Arthur Fils
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
Pierre-Hugues Herbert
Captain: Paul-Henri Mathieu
Brazil
Thiago Seyboth Wild
Joao Fonseca
Matheus Pucinelli de Almeida
Rafael Matos
Marcelo Melo
Captain: Jaime Oncins
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