It has been an intense few weeks of tennis, but the best is yet to come. Serbia has made it to the semifinals of the Davis Cup, and Novak Djokovic is close to realizing his dream. Winning the trophy is still a few rounds away, but Djokovic and his team have a bizarre plan if they do.
Novak has been on a record-breaking spree of late. He won the Nitto ATP Finals recently and completed 400 weeks as the world number one. Most importantly, though, he saw his country through the knockouts, as his victory over Cameron Norrie eliminated Great Britain from the Davis Cup.
In the lead-up to the clash with Italy, Troicki issued a special challenge to his team. The conditions were simple: if Serbia won, all members would have to skydive out of a plane.
🚨BREAKING: If Serbia wins the 2023 Davis Cup, team will jump out of an airplane, as confirmed by Team Captain Viktor Troicki and Novak Djoković at yesterday’s presser. 🇷🇸
Plus at the end Novak says “If you wanna live, don’t win it”. 😂 #NoleFam | #DavisCup
🎥[U_penjanju/IG] pic.twitter.com/CExa4BsDyE
— Novak Weekly Podcast (@NovakWeekly) November 23, 2023
Novak added some lightness to the interview, as he joked, “If you want to live, then don’t win it.” Djokovic’s answer resulted in raucous laughter from those in attendance.
Given Novak’s form, Serbia will fancy their chances against Italy. Serbia has endured a long trophy drought, and all eyes will be on Novak for their victory. Djokovic will face Jannik Sinner for the third time in 11 days, the last time being at the ATP Finals.
Novak Djokovic was on the team that won the Davis Cup in 2010, as was Troicki. Both players will hope to replicate it this year again, with an equally memorable celebration as last time.
How did Novak Djokovic celebrate Serbia’s Davis Cup victory in 2010?
Back in 2010, the Serbian side had decided that they would shave their heads if they won the Davis Cup. They kept to their word when they lifted the trophy.
The Serbians enjoyed a stunning victory over France when Troicki defeated Michael Llodra 6-2, 6-2, 6-3. Once the celebrations died down a little, the players got a collective haircut. In a recent interview, Djokovic recalled the incident that saw them sporting a new look as they lifted the trophy.
It was a special occasion, as the national team won it on their home soil, in front of a packed Belgrade Arena. Novak Djokovic and others hope to repeat their success this year too. The Serbian side is very close to accepting Troicki’s challenge too.