Djokovic Likely To Skip ATP Finals To Get '100% Fit' Says Former US Open Runner-Up

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.

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