Novak Djokovic announced his withdrawal from the Paris Masters on Wednesday, a tournament where he has won seven times. This decision could signal the end of a tough season for the 37-year-old tennis player. #DjokovicParisMasters
“Unfortunately, I won’t be playing the Paris Masters this year,” Djokovic shared on Instagram. “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.”
Djokovic, the reigning champion in Paris, has an impressive record of 40 Masters titles and 24 Grand Slam wins. However, this year has been difficult for him, as he only secured one title, an emotional Olympic gold in Paris. This victory brought his career total to 99 trophies.
The 2024 season has seen younger players like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz emerge, dethroning Djokovic from Grand Slam dominance. Sinner, from Italy, won both the Australian and US Open titles and became the world number one. Meanwhile, Alcaraz defeated Djokovic in the Wimbledon final and took the French Open title, although Djokovic managed to win against him in the Olympic final.
For the first time since 2017, Djokovic will end a season without a Grand Slam title. Despite these challenges, he still targets the ATP Finals in Turin next month. Currently, Djokovic ranks sixth in the race for the eight-player field, but he risks being overtaken by other competitors.
The Paris Masters, where Djokovic will not compete, is set to take place from October 28 to November 3. #DjokovicParisMasters
Djokovic’s Future Remains Uncertain Amid Nadal’s Retirement Plans
Djokovic’s announcement follows Rafael Nadal’s recent declaration about retiring after the Davis Cup Finals in December. Although Djokovic has faced what he calls “one of the worst-performing seasons,” he has no intention of retiring like Nadal.
“I don’t know what the future brings, I’ll just try to kind of go with the flow to see how I feel in a given moment, but I still plan to compete and play next season,” Djokovic said following his recent loss to Sinner in the Shanghai Masters final, marking his third defeat in their last four encounters.
