This week, Novak Djokovic will not be attempting to win his eighth Paris Masters championship. In order to enjoy his time off the court and avoid thinking about the ATP Race, the veteran decided to withdraw from his favorite indoor event and travel to the Maldives. Djokovic appears to be having fun swimming, though it’s unclear if he went to the paradise spot with his family or by himself.
Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, Alex de Minaur, Grigor Dimitrov, and Tommy Paul are all behind the Serb, who is currently ranked sixth in the ATP Race to Turin, ahead of Paris. Although it appears that Novak does not currently consider competing in Turin, preferring to enjoy his vacations, he may still qualify for the ATP Finals despite pulling out of Paris.
Djokovic was unable to duplicate his 2023 success, taking home the most coveted ATP trophy this year. The veteran’s top-10 run is in jeopardy as he is 37-9 this year and in the top-4 despite dropping 2500 ATP points in Paris in Turin. In the Australian Open semi-final, Novak lost to Jannik Sinner after laboring in sets one, two, and four and unable to generate a break opportunity. Thus, after making it to the quarterfinals, the Serb lost the crown and suffered his first defeat in Melbourne. The 24-time Major champion lost in the Monte Carlo semi-final and was taken aback by Luca Nardi in Indian Wells. Novak missed this season’s ATP final after losing to Alejandro Tabilo and Tomas Machac in Rome and Geneva. At Roland Garros, the reigning champion was unable to alter that, as he struggled with a knee ailment and withdrew before facing Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals.
After undergoing surgery, Djokovic made a full recovery in time for the Olympic Games and Wimbledon. After playing Carlos Alcaraz for the second consecutive year and losing in straight sets, the great advanced to another final at the All England Club. Entering the Olympic Games in Paris hoping to win the elusive gold medal, Novak corrected that at his most sought-after event of the season. After a thrilling match, the veteran vanquished six opponents in straight sets, overcoming every obstacle to defeat Alcaraz 7-6, 7-6 in the final. He completed the tennis match and added the 15th noteworthy prize to his collection. After an Olympic victory, Djokovic changed his schedule and slowed down the engines, but he failed to rediscover the desire at the US Open. In Shanghai, Novak participated and advanced to a second round before falling to Jannik Sinner 7-6, 6-3 and placing second. After losing to Sinner in the semi-final and pulling out of the Paris Masters, the Serb went to Riyadh and accepted the Six Kings Slam.