'Serbia Open lost a big star when Dominic Thiem withdrew,' said Novak Djokovic

The fifth edition of the Serbia Open takes place this week at Novak Djokovic Tennis Center in Belgrade, with Novak as the only big star after a couple of withdrawals.

Stan Wawrinka, Gael Monfils and Borna Coric were all forced to skip the Serbia Open, followed by the US Open champion Dominic Thiem, who is not ready to compete. The Austrian has been struggling to find the motivation in the last couple of weeks, feeling sick and tired about bubbles, restrictions and the new reality created by the coronavirus.

After early losses in Doha and Dubai, Thiem decided to take a break from the sport and recharge batteries, skipping Miami, Monte Carlo and Belgrade and hoping to get ready for the Madrid Open in May. Speaking about Dominic, Djokovic said that it's a shame that he couldn't come to Belgrade for the second straight year after having a great time during the Adria Tour last summer.

"It's a big loss for our tournament not to have Dominic Thiem here in Belgrade. The tennis world needs him because he is a Major champion and one of the world's best players. He was excited to come back to Serbia, but unfortunately, he couldn't be here. I've heard that he is struggling with how he is feeling. He's a bit exhausted with the restrictions in the bubble life on the tour.

I understand what he's been going through because we all go through that. Most of the players are experiencing some of the mental issues and motivational issues - playing in front of empty stands, traveling and not being able to go out of their hotel room - just being restricted to the tennis courts and the hotel," Novak Djokovic said.