Djokovic To Begin Grass Campaign At The Queen’s Club

Novak Djokovic said after his quarter-final loss at Roland Garros that he was unsure if he would compete during the grass-court season. But the Serbian has ended any uncertainty, accepting a wild card into next week’s Fever-Tree Championships at The Queen’s Club.

“I am very excited to be playing the Fever-Tree Championships again. I have happy memories of reaching the final at The Queen’s Club 10 years ago and also winning the doubles title the last time I was there,” Djokovic said according to a press release. “The grass courts are always perfect, the atmosphere always great and I am looking forward to playing in front of the British crowds again.”

It will be the Serbian’s fourth main draw appearance at the event, and his first since 2010. Djokovic advanced to the championship match in 2008 before falling to Rafael Nadal.

“We have been hoping Novak would come back to play in the Fever-Tree Championships for years and this is fantastic news for all of us,” Tournament Director Stephen Farrow said. “Novak is one of the best players in the sport’s history, he adds even more strength to our player line-up, and we can’t wait to see him on grass at The Queen’s Club.”

Djokovic joins a star-studded lineup at the ATP World Tour 500-level event, which includes World No. 1 Nadal, five-time winner Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka and World No. 5 Marin Cilic. In total, 11 players inside the Top 20 of the current ATP Rankings will be in action, with other exciting stars such as Nick Kyrgios and #NextGenATP Canadian Denis Shapovalov also on the entry list. Defending champion Feliciano Lopez will attempt to retain his title.

Four of Djokovic’s 68 tour-level titles have come on grass, including his most recent championship victory at Eastbourne last season. The 31-year-old will attempt to maintain the momentum he gained from his semi-final showing in Rome, followed by his trip to the quarter-finals at Roland Garros.