Novak Djokovic has made no secret of his wish to lift the Davis Cup once more for Serbia, and the recent win that booked the nation into next year’s opening round has left the door open for one last bid.

Djokovic famously held three match points against Jannik Sinner in a Davis Cup semi-final in Malaga in November 2023 but failed to convert and lost. The following day Sinner led Italy to Davis Cup glory. Since that moment Djokovic has not managed to get the better of a player who went on to win four Grand Slam titles in the two years that followed.

Djokovic did not play in Serbia’s home tie against Turkiye over the last couple of days, but his compatriots produced a 3-1 victory that sends Serbia into the first round for next year’s Davis Cup. That result would allow Djokovic to represent his country in January if he chooses to carry on beyond his 39th birthday and aim for a dramatic finish at the Davis Cup finals.

The decision is complicated by Djokovic’s recent admissions after the US Open, where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz. Djokovic reached the semi-finals of all four Grand Slams in 2025, but he lost twice to Sinner in the semi-finals of the French Open and at Wimbledon, and then to Alcaraz at the US Open. Those results prompted a frank assessment from Djokovic:

“I can do only as much as I can do,” Djokovic said. “It will be very difficult for me in the future to overcome the hurdle of Sinner and Alcaraz in best-of-five at Grand Slams.

“I think I have a better chance in best-of-three, but best-of-five, it’s tough.

“I’m not giving up on Grand Slams in that regard. I’m going to continue fighting and trying to get to the finals and fight for another trophy at least.”

Davis Cup ties use the shorter best-of-three format, which may appeal to Djokovic if he is weighing one more team campaign. He has long spoken of the competition’s importance:

“I’m always grateful to be once again in the national team,” said Djokovic back in 2023. “Davis Cup has been and is one of my greatest goals and it always will be.

“Davis Cup has been historically the most important team competition for nations in tennis. You know, over a hundred years old. It is the most important one to win for any tennis nation in the world. So hopefully I can win it again before I finish.”

This weekend Djokovic was a high-profile spectator as Greece faced Brazil in Athens, with Stefanos Tsitsipas losing to Joao Fonseca and Brazil advancing to the next round.

Lleyton Hewitt has been suspended for two weeks following an incident in which he pushed a volunteer anti-doping chaperone. The International Tennis Integrity Agency announced the sanction on Wednesday; it will run from Sept. 25 until Oct. 7.

The episode took place last November after Australia’s Davis Cup team lost in the semifinals to Italy. Hewitt, serving as Australia’s captain at the time, pushed a 60-year-old volunteer anti-doping chaperone following the defeat. He denied the charge, pleading self-defense. The ITIA reviewed video evidence, witness statements and interviews before referring the matter to an independent tribunal.

The tribunal upheld a charge of offensive conduct, finding that Hewitt’s actions “did not meet the requirements of self-defense” and that his behavior was “not reasonable and proportionate.” In addition to the two-week suspension, the 44-year-old former No. 1-ranked men’s tennis player has been fined around $20,000.

The ITIA set the suspension dates so the penalty would not be “unduly punitive” by affecting Hewitt’s Davis Cup responsibilities. During the suspension he will be barred from all tennis-related activities, including coaching, mentoring, playing, captaincy and other associated roles.

Australia is due to play Belgium on Sept. 13-14 in Sydney, with a place in the last eight of the Davis Cup Finals at stake. The scheduling of the sanction was announced with that forthcoming tie and Hewitt’s role in mind.

The case marks a disciplinary conclusion to an episode that began with post-match confrontation and moved through a formal review process involving video, witnesses and interviews before reaching an independent tribunal. The sanctions combine a short ban and a monetary penalty and restrict Hewitt from participating in official tennis duties for the period specified.

Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul have been forced to withdraw from the United States Davis Cup squad for the Sept. 12-13 second-round tie against the Czech Republic in Delray Beach, Florida because of injuries.

Reilly Opelka, Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek were added to the roster Thursday and will join Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe on the team. The changes leave Fritz and Tiafoe as the returning singles options alongside the newly named players.

Shelton, who is sixth in the world, was unable to finish his third-round match at the U.S. Open after experiencing left shoulder pain. Paul, ranked 14th, was eliminated in the same round in five sets by Alexander Bublik and appeared to be struggling with an abdominal injury when he exited the tournament.

Opelka, who lost in the first round at the U.S. Open to Carlos Alcaraz, adds height and a powerful serve to the Davis Cup lineup. Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek bring established doubles credentials; both have been ranked No. 1 in doubles.

The selection also highlights a junior-era connection among the Americans. Tommy Paul, Taylor Fritz, and Reilly Opelka all won junior major titles in 2015, this year marking the 10-year anniversary of Paul and Fritz’s Roland Garros boy’s singles final.

The Sept. 12-13 tie will determine which nation advances in the Davis Cup competition. The U.S. team will rely on its mix of singles firepower and doubles experience as it prepares to face the Czech Republic in Delray Beach.