'Biggest Goal To End Season As No. 1' Admits Djokovic Ahead Of ATP Finals

| by Sebastian Dahlman

Novak Djokovic needs only one win to finish the year as world number one on the ATP Tour, and that's the main goal for the Serbian for the rest of the year.

Djokovic missed a lot of events last year, mostly in the United States, which obviously impacted his point tally. The Serbian wasn't able to compete with Carlos Alcaraz on the rankings causing him to finish the season below the Spaniard.

Alcaraz was in Turin; however, he didn't play but rather just received the year-end No. 1 trophy. It was something that Djokovic called deserving at the time.

Fast forward to now, and the situation is a bit different. Djokovic is far more likely to finish the year as world number one, which some believe would have also happened last year.

There is a good chance for that because he went undefeated in Turin to win the trophy and looked like the best player in the world. Just one win in Turin this year will ensure that he finishes the year as world number one, and it's a huge goal.

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There is a minor chance that Alcaraz ends up number one again, but he'll need some incredibly improbable scenario of Djokovic losing all three of his matches while he goes all the way.

Djokovic discussed that before the event, with the ATP confirming the No. 1 rank as his biggest goal.

"For me, the biggest goal right now is to end the season as the No. 1 player in the world, so hopefully I can clinch it. I need one win, so hopefully that happens. And then of course, I would love to win the tournament as well. But that's the goal and then let's see what happens afterwards."

Djokovic on finishing as No. 1

We'll see what happens in the first match against Holger Rune but he is the favourite. If he loses, he can still count on the 20-year-old Spaniard losing one of his matches, or winning one of his following matches. Ahead of the 2023 ATP Finals, the 36-year-old remembered also the last year.

"I had the perfect score. Most of my matches, four of five I won straight sets. This is the third time we are here in Torino, there are I think a couple hundred metres, almost 300 metres [of] altitude, and maybe the fans cannot feel it, but we can feel it on the court."

"The ball flies through the air, the conditions are played different. So it takes some days to really adjust. But it's lovely. Lovely arena, great to be part of this event again and it's a great attendance."

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