Troicki Names Davis Cup Squad, No Djokovic
Serbia coach Viktor Troicki named his squad for the World Group 1 tie against Lithuania in Nis on September 19 and 20, leaving out both Novak Djokovic and Laslo Djere.
September 19 will, for now, find Serbia in Nis without the best player this sport has ever produced. Team captain Viktor Troicki announced the squad for the World Group 1 tie against Lithuania at midday, and despite weeks of speculation that Novak Djokovic would return to the team after a two year absence, his name is not on it.
Laslo Djere is not there either, nor is Dusan Lajovic. For the tie in Nis, Troicki called up Miomir Kecmanovic, Hamad Medjedovic, Ognjen Milic and Branko Djuric. Sources differ on the fifth name: Mondo lists Stefan Latinovic as a doubles specialist on the roster, while Nova.rs does not mention him at all.
Why Djokovic is missing
Djokovic had been on the extended squad, and until just a few days ago that kept alive the hope that he would put on the national team jersey again after his long break. The final list closed that story. His last Grand Slam appearance was bitter anyway: Argentina’s Mariano Navone knocked him out in the first round of the US Open, and that is the last anyone has seen of him on court this season.
Without him, the burden falls on Kecmanovic and Medjedovic, the two players who have already carried the team whenever the top player was unavailable. Milic and Djuric are younger, still working their way up the ATP rankings, but both already have experience playing for the national team.
When and against whom
The tie will be played at the Cair Sports Hall in Nis on September 19 and 20, as part of World Group 1, on the road to qualifying for the 2027 Davis Cup Final 8. The draw is scheduled for noon on September 18, also in Nis.
On the first day, Saturday September 19, two singles matches are on the schedule, first board against first board, then second against second, starting at 2pm. Sunday, September 20, brings doubles and two more singles matches, first the top boards, then the second boards, all starting from 1pm.
Lithuania is led by captain Laurinas Grigelis, who is relying on Vilijus Gaubas, world number 121 in singles, Edas Butvilas at 195th, Justas Trainauskas and Pijus Vaitikunas, both outside the top 1,500, and Todas Babelis, 803rd in doubles. On paper Serbia, even without Djokovic, is the favorite, but paper rarely means much in the Davis Cup when the match is played on home soil in front of a full arena.
What Troicki said
After the squad was announced, the captain explained why the team looks the way it does.
“The list of players for the tie against Lithuania in Nis is the team that is ready right now to answer the call and be available for this match in Cair. We arrive in Nis on September 14 and will start training from then. Hamad and Miomir are already regulars on the national team, we expect the most from them. They are the top two players on the team. The younger players, Milic and Djuric, who are working their way up the rankings, already had experience playing for the national team. Ognjen played brilliantly in Chile and showed himself to be excellent despite the loss to the more experienced Tabilo. It was clear he enjoys being part of the team. He will be with us again. Djuric has proven to be a great team player. Latinovic is making his debut as a member of the national team, he has broken into the doubles top 100 and we expect him to help us in doubles. We go in as favorites, I hope for the best, for us to advance and return to the World Group.”
Troicki said, confirming that Latinovic is indeed part of the team, even though Nova.rs left him out of its own report.
What comes next
Before the September 18 draw, Troicki and the team have five days of training together in Nis, enough time to see what shape each of the called up players is in. Kecmanovic and Medjedovic carry the biggest burden, while Milic and Djuric get a chance to show the national team can count on them even when its top player is not there.
To me, this looks like the team Troicki was building even before Djokovic’s name entered the conversation at all, just without the luxury of having the best player in the world as a backup option. The question for Nis is not whether Serbia goes in as the favorite, because it does even without Novak, but how quickly Milic and Djuric find their footing in front of their home crowd. The answer arrives on September 19 at 2pm.
