In a surprising turn of events, Novak Djokovic has announced that he will not be participating in the upcoming ATP Finals in Turin, Italy. The Serbian tennis star cited an ongoing injury as the reason for his withdrawal, ending his season prematurely.
Djokovic, who has won the ATP Finals seven times, expressed his disappointment on social media, saying, “I was really looking forward to being there, but due to ongoing injury I won’t be playing next week. Apologies to those who were planning to see me. Wishing all the players a great tournament. See you soon!”
This decision comes after Djokovic pulled out of the Paris Masters last week, and it marks the first time since 2006 that he hasn’t won an ATP title in a calendar year. Despite his absence, the tournament will feature top players like Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Taylor Fritz.
Djokovic’s withdrawal opens up spots for Casper Ruud, Alex de Minaur, and Andrey Rublev, who are now confirmed to compete in the season-ending event. The ATP Finals will take place from November 10-17, and fans will undoubtedly miss seeing Djokovic in action.
While this season has been challenging for Djokovic, he did manage to win singles gold at the Paris Olympics, adding the final major honour missing from his record-breaking career achievements.
As the tennis world adjusts to Djokovic’s absence, all eyes will be on the remaining players to see who can rise to the occasion and claim the title in Turin.
Novak Djokovic in 2024
Currently ranked no.5, the Serbian played his last encounter on the 13th of October when he was overcome by world no.1 Jannik Sinner 7-6(4) 6-3 in the final in Shanghai (draw).
This year Djokovic achieved an overall 37-9 match record. The Serbian clinched 1 title in Paris. The Serbian reached the final in Wimbledon and Shanghai.