Potential for Serbia Open axe as Djokovic aiming to find a way for Belgrade to host a tournament

There won't be any tennis event in Belgrad next year as the lease for the Serbia Open expires after this year but Djokovic is keen to bring the event back to Serbia.

This year's edition will be the final one of the Serbian Open as the lease from the Hungarian Open expires. The event returns to Budapest next year but Djokovic is keen to find a way for the country to hold an ATP event. Speaking to Sport Klub Djokovic confirmed that there won't be any event next year:

"First of all, I must say that the licence is not ours. We leased it from its owner Ion Tiriac and now he wants it back. We wanted to buy the licence, to host the tournament in Serbia for many years to come, because we were successful – many people in the stands, ATP gave us excellent grades for all the efforts, but there is not much we can do when the owner doesn’t want to sell the licence. We have to respect that.”

Read also

Aryna Sabalenka leads WTA Race as Swiatek up to number 3, and Krejcikova jumps 18 spots to number six

He added:

"We are now looking into two different alternatives to get the licence. Either to apply with the ATP for the new licence – which is less likely because there are many tournaments as it is – or to negotiate a lease on another licence. Possibly to even buy that licence, but the prices have gone through the roof and most tournaments are profitable, so it is understandable that they don’t want to sell. Our desire is big, so we will see."

Read also

Medvedev urges ATP to change balls, points at Rune, Tsitsipas and Korda as injury examples: "It's a big shock to play them with your racquet"