Novak Djokovic continues a title-less season, but there are still ambitions for the Serbian in the second half of the year. Three Grand Slams and five Masters 1000 tournaments have already been played this season, but there are still major challenges ahead for the 24-time Grand Slam champion before the end of the season.
The world No. 2 will be at the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 starting next week, seeking his first gold medal. The Olympics are the only major title Djokovic has yet to win, and in Paris, he will have a good chance considering they will be played at Stade Roland Garros, where Nole has already won three times.
However, the Olympics and the US Open are not the only challenges remaining for the 37-year-old player in 2024. With the announcements from Team Europe for the Laver Cup, it appears that Nole will not be participating in the tournament created by Roger Federer this season.
The Serbian recently commented that he hopes to travel to the Asian swing, which could explain his decision to avoid the Laver Cup and minimize travel-related fatigue, especially considering he has not enjoyed the best physical condition this season.
The heavy schedule forces players, especially top players, to make difficult decisions. This was the case for Alexander Zverev, who decided not to participate in the Davis Cup in September and prioritized the Laver Cup, as did players like Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe.
Once the US Open ends in early September, the Davis Cup begins quickly. Although Nole has participated in the final stages of the Davis Cup, Serbia was eliminated by Slovakia earlier this year, so Djokovic will not be in the group stage. However, he will be in Belgrade for the match against Greece in the World Group I qualifier, as confirmed by the Serbian Tennis Federation.
With the conclusion of the Davis Cup matches, the Asian swing begins. Several top players will travel to Vancouver, Germany for the Laver Cup, including Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Ben Shelton, among others. Djokovic, for now, would not be part of Team World and would travel to Asia for the Shanghai Masters 1000.
In the weeks leading up to Shanghai, there are two ATP 250 tournaments and two ATP 500 tournaments if Nole decides to participate in a tournament to prepare for Shanghai, which will be held from October 2 to 13. A possible end of the season for Nole would include Shanghai, then the Paris Masters in late October, and the Nitto ATP Finals (if he qualifies) in mid-November.