Novak Djokovic has not confirmed whether he will play at the 2024 ATP Finals if he qualifies, but Roger Federer's former coach, Ivan Ljubicic, doubts the Serbian plans to do so.
Tennis is lucky to have Djokovic playing still, and his hard work over the years to be physically capable of competing at the top of the sport at age 37 should not be taken for granted.
Djokovic's importance to tennis was reinforced by Rafael Nadal's announcement that he will retire after next month's ATP Finals. The 10-time Australian Open champion is the only member of the legendary trio of him, Nadal, and Roger Federer not to confirm retirement.
Nadal and Djokovic played one final time at the Six Kings Slam exhibition, a lucrative event in Saudi Arabia that was played from October 16th to 19th and also featured Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Holger Rune.
After defeating his old rival in straight sets in their last match before Nadal's retirement, Djokovic paid an emotional tribute to the Spaniard, calling him an incredible person and saying he wished the 38-year-old was not retiring.
Although Djokovic made time to play at the Six Kings Slam because it was Nadal's penultimate appearance and the players were paid significant fees for participating, he participates in much fewer tournaments than in the early stages of his career.
The 24-time Grand Slam winner admits that the four majors and representing Serbia are his biggest priorities, and he even indicated that he might be done with tournaments like the ATP Finals.
That mindset was evident when Djokovic withdrew from next week's Paris Masters. The seven-time champion at the tournament made a statement apologizing to the fans and said he hoped to return next year.
Djokovic's decision not to compete in the French capital or on home soil at the Belgrade Open the following week means he is no longer in control of whether he qualifies for the ATP Finals.
The tennis legend is currently sixth in the race for the year-end tournament in Turin and might have already done enough with his results this season, but that is uncertain at this stage.
However, Federer's former coach, Ljubicic, who spoke to Sky Sports, thinks Djokovic may not play at the ATP Finals even if he qualifies. The Croatian says it is clear he only cares about a few tournaments and does not have the motivation to improve his ranking.
"In my opinion, his goal is definitely the tournaments and not the ranking because to climb higher, he would have to play much more."
"He is neither physically nor mentally prepared for it, but he showed us in Shanghai that when he wants to compete, he can challenge the best. I doubt he will play in Turin this year, but he will try again next year."
Many consider the ATP Finals the most significant tournament outside the Grand Slams. If he qualifies, not playing at this year's iteration would send a signal about narrowly prioritizing the four majors at this late stage of his career.