Spectacle at Dorcol - Serbia Open: Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem, Andrey Rublev & co.

Spectacle at Dorcol - Serbia Open: Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem, Andrey Rublev & co.

This 250 series tournament is played from April 18 to 24, at the same time as the ATP 500 Tournament in Barcelona, however, it does not lag far behind in terms of quality. Belgrade has managed to attract some respectable names, so in addition to the world no.1, Novak Djokovic, Andrej Rublev, the eighth in the world, and Dominic Thiem, the winner of the US Open from 2020, will also perform.

Duo from Russia, Karen Khachanov and Aslan Karatsev, last year's finalist, then Chilean Cristian Garin, and experienced tennis players such as Richard Gasquet, David Goffan, Fabio Fognini will also play in Serbia. We should not forget our representatives, led by Miomir Kecmanović.

There are also Filip Krajinović, Dušan Lajović, Laslo Djere and Hamad Medjedović. A total of 28 tennis players will fight to succeed Matteo Berrettini on the throne, three of whom received a special invitation, while we will find out the names of the last four participants after the qualifications.

Novak is facing similar circumstances as last year, when he started the season on clay infamously in Monte Carlo, and then finally reached the trophy at Roland Garros.

It is well known what the Serbian ace encountered during these introductory four months, performing only in Dubai and Monaco. Despite the fact that Novak worked hard this year, the fact that the number of official matches can be counted on the fingers of one hand, certainly affects him.

The poor result from Monaco should not be worrying, since several factors simply coincided. That such results do not mean much, Novak showed last year, when after the defeat in Monaco by Daniel Evans, he lost in his hometown to Aslan Karatsev in the semifinals.

He played the finals in Rome, then "corrected" himself at the Belgrade Open and won it, skipped Madrid, and then achieved a great triumph in the Boulogne Forest at Roland Garros.

Thiem: I will fight for every point

“I leave a very long period of recovery behind me. I feel lucky to be in Belgrade again. I was here two years ago when I won the Adria Tour. I wanted to return last year but I suffered a wrist injury. I don’t know how I will play but I do know I will fight for every point. Belgrade marks the start of this tennis season for me and I plan to play every week before Roland-Garros. I am ready for the first match,” Dominic Thiem said.

“For me it is very important to start playing again. Belgrade will give me an opportunity to play and practice with many of the Top 10 tennis players. I am not sure about by game and my physical shape but I believe it is important to fight for every point. I hope to play high-level tennis again. Roland-Garros is coming, a special tournament, and I am looking forward to playing there. I don’t know what to expect. I hope that in the year 2023 I will secure a place among top players I had in the past, namely that I would win Rolan-Garros because I plan to be on the top of my game at the tournament", Thiem said. At the introductory press conference, Rublev expressed his desire to reach the finals, just as he managed to do this season in Marseille and Dubai, where he won titles.

“I am finally in Belgrade and I feel good. It is my first time here. I feel practically at home and at ease in Serbia. I played in Monte Carlo before the Belgrade tournament and I’ve had two difficult matches. I won the first one and lost the second one. My goal is to prepare for the continuation of the tennis season the best I can,” Andrey Rublev said.

Rublev praised all the players at the Serbia Open and added the following:

“I will try to win. I came to play tennis. The same as everyone else here. We play tennis at almost the same level. We’ll see. Everyone is improving their game, they are professionals, and players are becoming ever better.”

According to Rublev, it is clear who is the favorite to win the title: “It is still a little too early to tell but Novak Djoković is most certainly the favorite to win in Belgrade. He will give his all in front of his home crowd.” There is no doubt that in the next six days we will enjoy the fantastic tennis on Dorcol, but also on many accompanying facilities.

In addition to the matches, those who come to the "Novak" shopping mall will be able to participate in various activities in the fan village. Also, this year's tournament has a humane, ecological character, so that for every ticket purchased, one tree will be planted, not only in Belgrade, but throughout Serbia.

The opening round of the tournament will be opened by Aljaz Bedene or Mikhail Kukushkin, while Matteo Berrettini will not be in a position to defend the title due to injury, and the prize fund amounts to EUR 534.555.