Novak Djokovic qualifies for the 2022 ATP Finals after Astana triumph
ATP
Novak Djokovic will be playing at the 2022 ATP Finals for the 15th time in his career after he sealed his spot at the 2022 Astana Open.
The 21-time Grand Slam champion defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final match in Kazakhstan, and that earned him enough points to secure his spot in the 2022 ATP Finals and join the star-studded line-up that includes likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal.
This year was a bit weird for the Serbian. He wasn't allowed to compete in multiple events, which is why he was ranked lower than usual in the 2022 ATP Race.
On top of that, there were no points awarded at this year's Wimbledon Championships, which made it even more difficult for the Serbian player to qualify. However, thanks to winning this year's Wimbledon, he could use a special rule to qualify for the ATP Finals.
It was enough for Djokovic to finish between eighth and 20th in the 2022 ATP Race Rankings, and with his move to the 10th spot after his 90th career title, there is no chance that the Serbian will fall outside of the Top 20 after the Paris Masters.
Therefore, he joined Alcaraz, Nadal, Casper Ruud, and Stefanos Tsitsipas, who qualified for the year-end championships earlier. Previously, Djokovic was undefeated at the ATP Finals from 2012 until 2015, and this year, he will try to add his sixth title at the year-end event.
Djokovic reflected on his incredible tennis career after winning the title at the ATP 500 event in Astana, as his 90th title was another significant milestone.
"I dared to dream. Actually,I always hoped that I would be going to have a great career. Obviously, didn’t know the amount of finals I was going to play, the amount of tournaments I was going to win, but my intention was always to reach the highest heights in our sport."
"I’m just very grateful and blessed to be able to play this well at this stage of my life. You know, 35 is not 25. But I think the experience, probably, in these kinds of matches and big occasions helps as well to approach mentally in the right way."
