Novak Djokovic facing huge rankings implications as he confirms major decision
10/23/2024 06:54 PM
Novak Djokovic has cast a big cloud over how his tennis future will look after it emerged he will not play at the final ATP 1000 Masters event of the season in Paris, with that decision likely to have big sort and long-term consequences.
Djokovic has stated on several occasions that he has limited motivation to play in events outside of the Grand Slams or when he is representing his beloved Serbia.
Now the former world No 1 has confirmed the rumours that he will skip the Paris Masters, as he made the announcement on his social media account.
“Unfortunately I won’t be playing the Paris Masters this year,” wrote Djokovic. “I have a lot of great memories, winning seven titles and I hope to be back with you next year. Sorry to everyone who was hoping to see me there.”
At the age of 37 and having achieved so much in tennis, those sentiments are entirely understandable for the 24-time Grand Slam king.
Djokovic has confirmed he still has big ambitions to add to his record-breaking haul of major titles in 2025, but the decisions he is making now could have a big impact on his hopes for next year.
Djokovic won the Paris Masters last year and backed that triumph up with a commanding victory in the ATP Finals in Turin.
Those two wins secured the Serb a huge haul of 2,300 ranking points and they could all fall off his record if he fails to play in Paris and does not qualify for the ATP Finals in Italy.
That could see Djokovic heading into 2025 outside of the top eight places in the ATP Rankings, which could see him playing against world No 1 Jannik Sinner or No 2 Carlos Alcaraz in the fourth round at the Australian Open.
He could conceivable face the prospect of winning four consecutive matches against top 10 opponents to win in Melbourne, which would be a huge challenge for a player who may head into the tournament with a lack of matches under his belt.
With Djokovic sitting at No 6 in the ATP Race, he still has a good chance to seal a place in the lucrative end-of-season tournament.
Yet reports in Serbia have suggested he will not play in Turin and will take a break from tennis before attempting to win an 11th Australian Open title in January.
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“Deep inside I feel that I still have more Grand Slams to win,” Djokovic told La Nacion last week. “What still pushes me to compete, especially in the Grand Slams, is the feeling that I can be a candidate to win it and also for my country. I love playing the Davis Cup for Serbia.
“When I have to motivate myself, there are two things: one is to continue believing that I have the ability to continue fighting for the majors and win them.
“Second, tennis is still my biggest platform to do other things that interest me and share the messages that interest me, whether they are related to tennis, society, some venture that I have, something that seriously builds my legacy, my brand.
“I still feel that I enjoy the process and it generates all these benefits for me, so why not do it? Some people think I should retire from tennis at the top:
“You won gold, you won everything, say goodbye." Some people think I should keep going as long as I still think I can be the favourite for a Grand Slam. I think more like them.
“Maybe I will change my mind, I don’t know. For now I feel like I want to keep going. How much longer? Travelling and finding motivation is becoming more difficult for me. It’s not easy. And even less so with children.
“I don’t want to be away from home for so long, but I still have the drive. So I feel sorry for those who want me to retire because they will have to see me for a while longer.”
Djokovic may be planning to become a part-time tennis player in the final phase of his career, but a slide in the rankings will hamper his ambitions of challenging to win more Grand Slam titles.
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