An ‘ongoing injury’ has caused defending champion Novak Djokovic to withdraw from the ATP Finals. This season, the athlete has already qualified as the sixth most successful player on the ATP Tour, having won a record of seven titles at the event.
Djokovic said: “I was really looking forward to being there, but due to ongoing injury I won’t be playing next week,” Djokovic wrote on social media.”
He added: “Apologies to those who were planning to see me. Wishing all the players a great tournament. See you soon.”
The athlete did not specify the nature of his injury, and he will not play again this season. Currently, he has won a record of 24 Grand Slam men’s singles titles.
Djokovic’s athletic performance
In 2024, Djokovic won 37 of his 46 games and won his only championship in the Paris Olympics, where he finally received the goal medal he had been working hard for. Moreover, he has not won an ATP event since 2005, and this is only the fourth season since 2008 that he has not taken home one of the four Grand Slam championships.
Djokovic admitted: “I am not chasing ATP Finals, I am not chasing the rankings.” Furthermore, the former world number one confirmed his desire to focus on the Grand Slams in an attempt to extend his career.
Djokovic’s next match will probably be at the Australian Open, which will begin on January 12, 2025.
Novak Djokovic says he wants to go “full throttle” in the upcoming 2025 season and participate in an event prior to the Australian Open next year.
Since Serbia won gold at the Olympics in the summer, Djokovic has not played much this season. He withdrew from the Nitto ATP Finals and missed the Paris Masters due to an injury.
He concluded the season without winning multiple titles for the first time since 2005 and without a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2017.
He does not, however, appear to have any immediate plans to retire and follow in the footsteps of Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic admitted: “Tennis is still my focus… I am going at full throttle in the off-season, we go for another ride. I just needed to recharge and refresh a bit after an exhausting year.”
He added: “I am going to play in the first week of the season, I am just not sure yet where. Then, of course, Australian Open.”
Although Djokovic did not compete prior to the Australian Open this year, he won Adelaide to begin the 2023 season and went on to win the title in Melbourne. His primary goal for the next season is to achieve more Grand Slam success.
“I would like to play the Davis Cup too, let’s see what happens,” he declared.
Novak Djokovic will compete at the Paris Olympics, the Olympic Committee of Serbia has announced.
The 37-year-old underwent knee surgery last month after he was forced to pull out of the French Open following an injury in the fourth round, where he won a gruelling four-and-a-half-hour match.
But he will be seen in action again at the Olympics.
Djokovic has played in every Olympics since 2008.
He won the bronze at his Olympic debut in Beijing.
But the Serbian, who has won a record 24 Grand Slam singles titles making him statistically the greatest tennis player in history, is yet to win a second Olympic medal.
He went out in the semi-finals of both the singles and the doubles at Tokyo 2020.
Currently world number three, Djokovic will try to end his title drought in 2024 after winning three out of the four Grand Slams last year.
Paris 2024 is “a priority” for him, he said in April, in quest of an elusive Olympic gold medal.
Dusan Lajovic, ranked 56th, will also play for Serbia in the July 27-August 4 Olympic tournament at Roland Garros.
Other famous contenders
Djokovic will be in good company, with other illustrious veterans also in the fray.
Rafael Nadal, 38, who won the Olympic singles gold in the Beijing 2008 Games (where Djokovic won the bronze), will be playing for Spain. Nadal also picked up the doubles gold at the Rio 2016 Olympics. This will be his third Olympics.
Two-time Olympic champion Andy Murray will also be seen in action, playing for Great Britain.
Murray, 37, who won the singles at London 2012 and Rio 2016, will be in the Olympics for the fifth time. He said it would be “fitting” to retire at the Games.
Novak Djokovic officially withdrew from the French Open because of a knee injury that caused him severe discomfort as he fought his way to victory against Francisco Cerúndolo in the fourth round.
The defending champion faced Cerúndolo in five sets, with the goal of winning his 25th grand slam singles championship. However, during the match, he felt unexpected discomfort in his right knee.
Dropping out of the tournament, Djokovic wrote in an Instagram post: “I played with my heart and gave my all in yesterday’s match and unfortunately, due to a medial meniscus tear in my right knee, my team and I had to make a tough decision after careful consideration and consultation… I wish the best of luck to the players competing this week and sincerely thank the incredible fans for all of the love and continued support. See you soon.”
Two days before his hard-won triumph over Cerúndolo, Djokovic had engaged in a third-round five-set match against Lorenzo Musetti that concluded at three in the morning.
Djokovic: I slipped way too many times
Even though Djokovic defeated Cerúndolo with amazing resolve and determination, he afterwards acknowledged that he was worried about right knee pain that only went away when his medication started working as the match came to a close.
The athlete admitted: “At one point, I didn’t know, to be honest, whether I should continue or not with what’s happening.”
He claimed that the courts were more slippery than usual due to the continuous rain in Paris and the officials turned down his request to have the clay wiped more frequently during the match.
“I slipped way too many times… That is quite unusual … I’ve slipped and fallen on the clay many times in my life, and on grass as well, but this was just too many times today… Could this injury have been prevented?… Possibly, if there was just a little bit more frequent care of the court during the set. That’s basically all I asked for,” Djokovic added.
With Djokovic withdrawing from the competition, the Norwegian Casper Ruud he was due to meet in the quarter-finals will now move to the semi-finals. Moreover, the reigning Australian Open champion, Jannik Sinner, will be at the top of the world rankings for the first time in his playing career.
Novak Djokovic says that though he is recovering from knee surgery and doing okay, he will only compete at Wimbledon this year if he can battle to win the title.
The seven-time champion underwent surgery after rupturing the medial meniscus in his right knee at the French Open. He plans to decide if he will compete in this year’s championships before the draw on Friday. The tournament is set to begin on July 1.
On Djokovic’s preparations
Despite having a support bandage on his knee, he trained at Wimbledon. The athlete said: “I didn’t come here to play a few rounds… If I know I can play close to my maximum or at maximum, then I’ll play. If not, then I’ll give somebody else a chance to play.”
He added: “I really will only play if I know I am in a state which is good enough to go far in the tournament and fight for the title, so that’s the condition.”
Djokovic also declared that his rehab is “going in the right direction” and that he is getting better every single day. He remarked: “I’m taking things gradually. I’m not pushing myself yet 100%, but I’m hoping that’s going to come in the next few days.”
If Djokovic participates in Wimbledon this year, it will be his 19th time appearance at the grass-court Grand Slam.
Novak Djokovic is arguably the greatest tennis player of all time.
The Serbian athlete has achieved a remarkable feat unparalleled in the history of professional tennis, having remained in the top spot of the ATP Pepperstone ranking for a total of 397 weeks and having won 24 Grand Slam singles titles.
Djokovic has accumulated a wealth of trophies, accolades, and world records throughout his fifteen-year career, which would make one think that the player has probably got it all. But, upon closer inspection, the Serb is lacking one piece of conspicuous glory that most athletes aspire to have: an Olympic gold medal
Djokovic’s goals
Following his success at the United States Open, where he achieved his 24th Grand Slam title, Novak Djokovic opted to take a period of rest to be with his family. During this time, he missed several tournaments.
The Paris Masters marked his comeback, but before he set out onto the court, Djokovic declared his intentions for the future. And among his list is the Paris Olympics next year.
“Of course my greatest motivation is still love for the game. I really like competing. So as simple as that. Then I always have goals, and to win another Slam, to be No. 1 again, to finish the year as No. 1. Those are let’s say the big goals,” said Djokovic said, as per the ATP tour. “Of course next year is Olympic Games. I really want to do well in the Olympic Games, and represent my country. Davis Cup is something that still gives me a lot of inspiration.”
He also stated that, while he wishes to win every tournament in which he chooses to compete, his ambition is stronger for the ones he named, including the Olympics.
“Any tournament where I play, I want to win, no doubt. But the big goals are the ones that I mentioned,” Djokovic said.
Djokovic: Olympic history
Djokovic has not been able to secure a gold medal despite his numerous attempts, beginning in 2008, and has only achieved a bronze medal in his entire career.
The bronze medal was won in his Olympic debut in Beijing, where he defeated United States player James Blake, 6–3, 7–6(7–4).
At the 2012 London Olympics, Djokovic was eliminated in the semi-finals and then faced defeat in the bronze medal match against Argentina’s Juan Martín del Potro.
In 2016 Rio Olympics, as bad luck would have it, Djokovic met del Potro again, this time in the first round of the competition. Unfortunately, the Serb was unable to avenge his bronze medal loss and was eliminated in the first round, thus destroying his Olympic ambition once more.
At the time, Djokovic was visibly in tears as he walked off the court, which was a heartbreaking moment for his supporters.
“No doubt this is one of the toughest losses in my life and in my career,” a devastated Djokovic told reporters, as per reuters.
Finally, at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Djokovic mirrored his 2012 performance when he lost in the semi-finals against Alexander Zverev.
