Malek Jaziri, 39, will end his two-decade career as a professional tennis player in Dubai next week. The former top 50 player will retire at one of his favorite events, receive a wild card and enter the main draw in Dubai for the 10th time.
world number 1 Novak Djokovic will watch Jaziri’s first round match against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, calling him «habibi friend» and wishing him the best for the future. Furthermore, Djokovic thanked the organizers for allowing the veteran to once again participate in the event where he faced him, Andy Murray and Roger Federer.
Malek is one of the most dedicated Davis Cup players, making his debut in 2000 and has achieved more than 50 victories for his country. Djokovic and Jaziri met twice in Dubai. The Serb scored a 6-1, 6-2 victory in the second round in 2016 and repeated four years later.
It took Novak an hour to beat Malek in the first round of 2020, keeping everything under control and securing his 17th straight win. Djokovic let ten points slip away on hard court and never faced a break point. The Serb stole more than half of the return points and converted them into four breaks.
Djokovic needed 28 minutes to clinch the first set, letting five points slip from his games and earning two breaks in five chances to control the pace. Malek broke in the second game on the third break opportunity offered to Novak, calling for a wrong challenge to find himself 2-0 down.
Djokovic cemented the lead with a dropshot in the third game and scored another break when Jaziri hit a slice backhand. Novak hit four service winners in game five and repeated at 5-1 to close out the first set in style. Malek held after a deuce early in the second set, and Novak leveled the score at 1-1 after a routine forehand into the net.
Nole had not yet received any updates.
Novak Djokovic admitted that he never imagined that he would one day spend more than seven years as the world No. 1. «I couldn’t have imagined it at the time, to be honest. As a child he dreamed of being a Wimbledon champion, being no
1 in the world. I achieved those dreams [in] 2011. After that, of course, I wanted more. I still want more achievements,» Djokovic said. The 22-time Grand Slam champion also spoke about his request to the US government for permission to play in the upcoming Sunshine Double.
«Regarding the process in the United States, no, I have not received anything new compared to what I told the media in Belgrade a few days ago. Right now it is the same situation,» he said.
