Djokovic will not play in the ATP Cup, Italy is looking for an achievement: France, Australia and Russia are in the group

After days of silence, hopes and doubts, what he had feared was finally confirmed: Novak Djokovic would not participate in the ATP Cup in Sydney, the team tournament that marks the official opening of the tennis season. And the organizers said, “Novak Djokovic, ranked number one in the world, has retired from the ATP Cup 2022. The Serbian team will now lead Dusan Lajovic, ranked 33 in the world.” An ad also casts a shadow over the Serb’s participation in the Australian Open but at the same time increases the chances of success for Italy, which with two top 10 players – Matteo Berrettini and Jannick Sener (pictured) and players like Lorenzo Sonego, Fabio Fognini and Simone Bolelli seem to be stronger a team. Furthermore, the Azzurri will not face Austria, ruled out after losing Dominic Thiem and Dennis Novak. And instead of the Austrian national team, France will play Ugo Humbert, Arthur Rinderknech, Edouard Roger Vasselin and Fabrice Martin. There will be no dairy transient Benoit Paire, who appears to be the preferred target for Covid after he announced his third positive on social networks.

The Italy group was completed by Australia (the Azzurri’s number one contender, at 21 Italian on Sunday, on Sky) and Russia, in Sydney without Andrey Rublev, positive, Aslan Karatsev and Evgeny Donskoy, who line up Daniil Medvedev, Roman Sviulin. Yevgeny Karlovsky. As for Djokovic and the Open Championship, talks are underway with the local federation to find a way, in line with strict Australian medical protocols, for the Serb to accept the tournament without having to state whether he has been vaccinated.