Seven-time ATP finals champion Novak Djokovic announced that he will not defend his title at the Nitto ATP Finals.
The Serbian tennis star is still in the race to qualify for the season-ending tournament as he sits sixth in the qualifying spots, with the top 8 going to Turin.
Novak posted an Instagram story on Tuesday, November 5, stating that he is dealing with an injury and wants to focus on prolonging his career.
In the story, he said, “I was really looking forward to being there, but due to an ongoing injury, I won’t be playing next week. Apologies to those who were planning to see me. Wishing all the players a great tournament. See you soon!”
According to LWOS, Djokovic is the first qualifying player since Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the ATP Finals in 2022.
The 37-year-old is the most successful player in the history of the ATP Finals, winning seven titles to his name, similarly he broke the record shared with Roger Federer by defeating Jannik Sinner in the final.
In 2008, the tennis champion won his first Tennis Master Cup, then claimed four consecutive titles from 2012 to 2015 in London, defeating Federer and Nadal each time.
He continued his success with victories in Turin in 2022 and 2023.
In the end, even the great Serbian cannot escape Father Time, as injury brings Djokovic’s season to an early close.
