"I hope this is not the last time I play in Australia": Potential retirement hint from Novak Djokovic amid United Cup stint?

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has arrived in Perth to represent Serbia in the United Cup, taking place from Thursday, December 28, to Sunday, January 7. 'Nole' traveled directly from Riyadh after the exhibition match in which he was defeated by Carlos Alcaraz (4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in favor of the Spanish player).

Upon his arrival in Australia, the 24-times Grand Slam champion commented that every time he plays in Perth, he feels welcomed by the Australian audience: "It's been a while since I played here. I remember every time I played in Perth was great. People here in Australia love tennis, sports in general, so I expect nothing less now. I'm sure everyone will enjoy it."

Djokovic also spoke about the importance he places on representing his country in international competitions. The 36-year-old tennis player participated a month ago in the Davis Cup Finals, where the Serbians reached the semifinals but fell to the eventual champion, Italy: "It's always an honor to represent Serbia. I hope that the stands will be full and that many people will come to watch our matches. It will be a good introduction to Melbourne."

Djokovic enters the tournament as preparation for the Australian Open, a tournament he won in the last four editions he participated in between 2019 and 2023 (absent in 2022 due to anti-vaccine restrictions). The World No. 1 acknowledged that he hopes to continue coming to Australia to play tournaments: "I hope this is not the last time I play in Australia. I always look forward to coming here. I feel that years ago I played my best tennis here and I had strong support," concluded Djokovic.

The Serbian team qualified in 13th place out of 18 countries participating in the tournament. Djokovic secured direct qualification thanks to his ATP ranking and will lead his country. 'Nole' is accompanied by Olga Danilovic (World No. 119), along with tennis players Hamad Medjedovic, Natalika Strevanovic, Nikola Cacic, Dajana Radanovic, and captained by Viktor Troicki.

The Serbian team is in Group E and will face the Czech Republic and China. The first match will be on December 31, where Djokovic will debut against Zhang Zhizhen, and on January 2, he will play against Jiri Lehecka.