Novak Djokovic will prioritize getting fully fit over playing at the ATP Finals according to Greg Rusedski.
Djokovic did defend his title at the Paris Masters after he withdrew from the final Masters 1000 tournament of the season, but the 37-year-old will likely qualify for the ATP Finals.
The only way Djokovic would finish outside the Top 8 qualifying spots is if Andrey Rublev and Alex de Minaur both win titles next week at the Belgrade Open and the Moselle Open in Metz and if Casper Ruud reaches the semifinal in Metz.
However, whether Djokovic intends to compete at the ATP Finals is unclear. The Serbian has yet to confirm if he would play at the year-end tournament in Turin if his qualification becomes official next week.
Doubts were raised when Djokovic was pictured on holiday with his family, indicating that the 24-time Grand Slam champion may have already decided to end his 2024 season.
Despite how significant a tournament the ATP Finals is, Djokovic has previously indicated he might be done with tournaments outside Grand Slams and representing Serbia at this late stage of his career.
Roger Federer's former coach, Ivan Ljubicic, thinks Djokovic will not play at this year's ATP Finals, although he did not rule out the possibility of the 24-time Grand Slam champion doing so in future years.
Djokovic's 10 Australian Open titles mean it could be the Grand Slam he is most likely to win again after failing to win a major title this year for the first time since 2017. Being fit in January for the tournament in Melbourne is undoubtedly a priority for him.
Since the French Open, Djokovic has played with strapping on his knee after sustaining an injury to it at Roland-Garros. That forced him to withdraw from the event in Paris, leading to Jannik Sinner overtaking him at No. 1.
Rusedski argued on The Tennis Channel that getting his knee 100% ready for 2025 is more important to Djokovic than trying to win an eighth ATP Finals title, making it likely he will withdraw from the 2024 iteration of the tournament.
"I think he needs to get healthy. We still see that knee brace there and once we don’t see that any more, he’s back. “Last season he won the ATP Finals and played in Davis Cup, so he couldn’t get the prep he needed in for this season. Then he picked up that injury at the French Open."
"For me, if Novak is 100 per-cent healthy, he is in the mix to win every major again next year. Health is your wealth and the older you get, the smarter you need to get. Off season to me is huge and the longer he can make his off season the better off he will be for 2025."
"I will be surprised if he plays in Turin or plays any more tennis this season, but never discount him. For me, if Novak is 100% healthy and gets fit, he is in the mix to win every major again. He has looked at Federer and Rafa, he has looked at the competition and knows he has to change a few things to beat the likes of Sinner and Alcaraz back to back."
Djokovic's absence would be disappointing if he decides to skip the ATP Finals, but there are many other top players, such as Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, to compensate for his loss.
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