Novak Djokovic announced on Wednesday that he is withdrawing from the Paris Masters, where he has been crowned champion seven times. This decision could mark the conclusion of a challenging season for the 37-year-old tennis star.
“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 defending champion in Paris, holds an impressive record with 40 Masters titles and 24 Grand Slam victories. This year, however, has been tumultuous for him. He claimed just one title, an emotional Olympic gold in Paris this past August, bringing his career total to 99 trophies.
The 2024 season has seen the rise of younger players like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who have dethroned Djokovic from his Grand Slam dominance. Sinner, from Italy, clinched both the Australian and US Open titles and also surpassed Djokovic as world number one. Meanwhile, Alcaraz defeated him in the Wimbledon final and took the French Open title, though Djokovic secured a victory over the Spaniard in the Olympic final.
For the first time since 2017, Djokovic will end a season without a Grand Slam title. Despite the setbacks, he remains in contention for the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin next month. Djokovic currently ranks sixth in the race for the eight-player field, though he risks being overtaken by other contenders.
The Paris Masters, where Djokovic is notably absent, is scheduled from October 28 to November 3.
Djokovic’s announcement comes shortly after his long-time rival Rafael Nadal revealed his intention to retire after the Davis Cup Finals in December. Despite enduring what he described as “one of the worst-performing seasons in terms of results,” Djokovic has no plans to follow Nadal into retirement.
“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.
While Djokovic is just one title away from joining the ranks of Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer as the only men to win 100 titles, he insists it’s not a pressing goal.
“It’s not a live-or-die type of goal for me,” he explained. “I think I’ve achieved all of my biggest goals in my career. Right now, it’s really about Slams and about still seeing how far I can kind of push the bar for myself.”
As Djokovic navigates the end of this season, his focus remains on what lies ahead, with hopes of competing at his best in 2024.
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