"It came down to patriotism" says Djokovic about deciding to play at Olympics

The world number one was very vague for a long time about playing in the Olympics. The Serbian even went as far as saying he would not play if fans were not allowed in the stands. After it became clear there won't be any fans, Djokovic once again said he would need to think about it.

After a few days of pondering he decided to play at the Olympics and asked why he committed to it he said:

"It came down to patriotism and my feelings for Serbia. I am not overjoyed about playing with no fans present or about the various coronavirus restrictions effective in Japan, but representing your country in the Olympics is indispensable"

Djokovic revealed that the final push came from a conversation he had with Croatian two-time Olympic medalist Blanka Vlasic. About that he said:

"I came across Blanka Vlasic a few days ago and she said that people will only remember who won the medals, not what the conditions were like or whether there were any fans or not."

He further added:

"Her words stuck with me and I am delighted that I decided to take part in the Olympics. I am inspired to play my best tennis and confident that I can win the gold medal after a tremendous run so far this season."