Serbia’s Davis Cup captain Viktor Troicki has explained Novak Djokovic’s absence from the upcoming Davis Cup tie in Chile, scheduled for February. The Serbian squad will once again be led by Hamad Medjedovic, who faces a tough challenge against a strong Chilean team, with the tie set to play a key role in Serbia’s path toward a potential return to the Davis Cup Finals.

The tie will be part of the first round of Davis Cup qualifiers, scheduled for February 6–7, just a week after the Australian Open concludes, with the final set for Sunday, February 1. This tight turnaround is one of the main reasons behind the absence of 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, with captain Viktor Troicki hoping the Serbian star will be in top form at the Happy Slam.

Speaking to Sportklub, Troicki addressed the squad named in early January, emphasizing Djokovic’s absence and also confirming that Miomir Kecmanović (No. 69) and Laslo Djere (No. 91) — Serbia’s current No. 2 and No. 3 players — will not feature in the team.

Troicki revealed that Novak Djokovic himself had a say in the team selection, confirming the lineup for the Santiago tie: Hamad Medjedović, Dušan Lajović, and Ognjen Milić for singles, with twins Ivan and Matej Sabanov set to handle doubles duties.

“We have a tough visit to Chile at a very inconvenient time, right after the Australian Open,” Troicki explained. “We’ll switch from hard courts to clay immediately, which doesn’t suit many players’ schedules as they’re also defending important ranking points.

”Adding to the challenge, the draw has not been kind to Serbia. The team must travel from Melbourne to Santiago, dealing with a 14-hour time difference, while Chile will be waiting comfortably on home clay — a surface that favors specialists such as Alejandro Tabilo, Cristian Garín, and Nicolás Jarry.