Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner arrive in Malaga, could meet again at Davis Cup Finals

Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner aren’t quite ready for the off-season just yet.

On Monday, the two arrived in Malaga, Spain for the knockout phase of the Davis Cup Finals less than 24 hours after Djokovic beat Sinner to win a record-breaking seventh Nitto ATP Finals trophy.

“It's a great reward, I think, for what my team and I and my family have been through this year, being one of the most successful years in my career that I ever had,” Djokovic said Sunday after adding on to a banner year that saw him go 27-1 at the majors.

Said Sinner in defeat, “I saw that I still have to improve, for sure. I believe that he makes me a better player, like all the other players have done who I lost to. I now have to work on this.”

Djokovic, who avenged a three-set Turin round-robin loss to Sinner, could find the 22-year-old across the net for a rubber match on Saturday if their nations clear respective opening hurdles.

The 24-time major champion is aiming to help Serbia win its first Davis Cup title since the Belgrade native led his country to the trophy in 2010. Their quarterfinal tie will be played Thursday against Great Britain, where Cameron Norrie looms as a likely opponent for Djokovic. The world No. 1 has taken seven of the eight sets they’ve played.

In 2024, Djokovic will have another competition centered around national pride high up on his priorities list. Asked how he could top this season next year, he responded with a smile, “You can win four slams and Olympic gold.”

With the in-form Sinner on their roster, Italy looks to advance past the Netherlands. If Thursday's projected lineups hold up, Sinner would meet Tallon Griekspoor for the second time. In February, the 10-time ATP title holder clinched their Rotterdam semifinal.

“One of the things where I can be really happy is that I played many, many important matches in the biggest stadiums we have throughout the whole year,” Sinner said. “This is something [that] hopefully can help for the next season.”

The top half of the draw sees defending champion Canada battle Finland and the Czech Republic square off against Australia.