Novak Djokovic ends 2024 season; announces shock withdrawal from ATP Finals in Turin
Novak Djokovic has called time on his 2024 season. On Tuesday, November 5, the Serb announced his decision to skip the upcoming ATP Finals in Turin.
Djokovic, who won the ATP Finals a historic seven times in his career, was the two-time defending champion at the tournament. However, due to his wavering form this season, the Serb had yet to qualify for the 2024 edition.
With five players confirmed and three spots up for grabs, Novak Djokovic, who was placed sixth in the race, was locked in an intense battle with Casper Ruud, Alex de Minaur, and Andrey Rublev. Had he missed out on a direct entry, the 24-time Grand Slam champion would have been the first alternate at the ATP Finals.
However, following his withdrawal announcement, Ruud, de Minaur, and Rublev have confirmed their spots at the year-end championships. The trio is set to join Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Taylor Fritz.
The Serb cited injury as the reason for his no-show. Taking to Instagram, he said:
"It’s quite an honor to qualify for the @nittoatpfinals in Turin. 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!"
Novak Djokovic was most recently in action at the Six Kings Slam exhibition event in Riyadh, where he suffered a semifinal loss to Jannik Sinner and beat arch-rival Rafael Nadal in the third-place battle. Before that, the Serb lost to Sinner in the final of the 2024 Shanghai Masters.
Novak Djokovic ends 2024 season without winning a single ATP title
In a historic first since winning his first title at the 2006 Dutch Open, Novak Djokovic has ended his 2024 campaign without a single ATP title to his name. His only triumph this season was the Paris Olympic gold—his 99th career title.
Besides his massive gold medal victory against Carlos Alcaraz in Paris, the Serb also featured in two other finals—at the Wimbledon Championships and the Shanghai Masters. He fell short both times against Alcaraz and Sinner, respectively. His other noteworthy results this season include reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open and the Monte-Carlo Masters.
Djokovic also made the quarterfinals of the French Open. He was, however, forced to withdraw from the match after injuring his knee during his fourth-round win.
Courtesy of his ATP Finals withdrawal, the 37-year-old is set to end his season outside the world’s top 5. He risks dropping out of the top 8 after the tournament.