TWO POOLS OF FOUR PLAYERS

Djokovic adds Cilic, Coric to Balkan Tour

The first leg will take place in Djokovic’s hometown of Belgrade on June 13 and 14.

In Summary

• Djokovic has only just returned to Serbia, having spent two months in Spain after visiting his brother Marko in Marbella when lockdown measures came into effect.

• The tournament could be behind closed doors with Serbia’s coronavirus containment measures still banning large-scale gatherings.

Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates during a past match
Serbia's Novak Djokovic celebrates during a past match
Image: /REUTERS

Novak Djokovic has announced Croatia’s Marin Cilic and Borna Coric as the latest players to join an eight-man tournament to tour the Balkans.

Austria’s Dominic Thiem, Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov and Germany’s Alexander Zverev - all current or former top-three players - will also take part.

The first leg will take place in Djokovic’s hometown of Belgrade on June 13 and 14.

“I’ll do everything in my power to be a good host,” said the world number one.

The tournament could be behind closed doors with Serbia’s coronavirus containment measures still banning large-scale gatherings.

After the Belgrade event, the tournament will move to the Croatian coastal resort of Zadar with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro penciled in to host the final two legs. Each event will feature two pools of four players with the winner of each progressing to a final.

Djokovic has only just returned to Serbia, having spent two months in Spain after visiting his brother Marko in Marbella when lockdown measures came into effect.

“Unlike many other players, I was able to train almost every day because we resided in a house with a tennis court,” said Djokovic, who began the 2020 season with a run of 18 straight victories that included capturing a record eighth Australian Open title.