Djordje and his team have achieved a miracle

Nenad Zimonjic was looking forward to his return to the tennis court in front of Banjaluka audience but was left without an opportunity to play at the Srpska Open after Marco Cecchinato had withdrawn from the tournament. However, the former Serbian doubles No. 1 does not plan to give up on tennis and will most certainly play at some of the upcoming tennis tournaments.

Zimonjic has praised Srpska Open tournament organisers with Djordje Djokovic at the helm and added:

“I haven’t been to Banjaluka for quite some time. It’s incredible what they’ve managed to achieve in four months. I had a chance to practice at excellent Centre Court. They did excellent job. I was wondering what did the Centre Court remind me of and I compared it to the Centre Court in Madrid. They have similar construction, but the Centre Court in Banjaluka is bigger. To tell you the truth, I am pleasantly surprised with the organisation of the tournament. Djordje Djokovic and his team have proven that they are capable of miracles, first the Adria Tour, now the Srpska Open. I really wanted to play in front of Banjaluka audience. I’m aware of their support throughout the years, both when I played and on social media. I know that I would have had their support again if I had an opportunity to play.”

Unfortunately, the Serbian champion’s wish did not come true after Italian Marco Cecchinato withdrew from the tournament and no one could jump in to replace him after the draw ceremony was held.

“I practiced at former centre court on the first day, where a challenger tournament used to take place. I truly regret not having an opportunity to play but there was no option to replace a tennis partner. Once the draw is made, an alternate team comes in. Hopefully, I’ll get another chance at a different tournament.”

Zimonjic has made great plans for the future.

“I hope to get a wild card for Wimbledon too.”

Zimonjic then went to explain why he decided to return to the tennis court after so many years.

“The reason is simple. You feel good when you do something you love and I enjoy my time on the tennis court. I wanted to encourage others too because if I can, they can too. Maybe not professionally, but they can be recreational tennis players. And I don’t refer only to tennis. I want people to be happy doing what they love. Regardless of their profession.”

His son Leon was a major factor in his decision to return to tennis.

“My love for tennis and sports in general is enormous. Sometimes, people are ready to do much more for others than for themselves. The fact is that my son who plays tennis and who developed his love for this sport at major tournaments inspired me to play again. He asked me in October why wouldn’t I compete at more tournaments. I gave it a serious thought and I reached a conclusion that it was possible. I believe in myself and only time will tell,” Zimonjic explained.