Already absent from the Masters 1000 in Paris, Djokovic, 37, has this time given up on the ATP Masters, the “masters tournament”, of which he has won the last two editions, to increase his number of coronations in the event at seven, a record.
« It’s an honor to qualify to play the ATP Masters in Turin and I was happy to be there, but due to injury I won’t be playing next week “, he wrote on his Instagram account.
The « Djoko », 5e in the ATP rankings and 6th in “The Race”, the annual ranking which determines the eight participants in the ATP Masters, did not specify the nature of his injury, his withdrawal is not a surprise.
Two of his nine defeats were against the young Sinner and Alcaraz who hit harder and run faster than him…
Djokovic’s latest images showed him on a family vacation on a beach in the Maldives. And if he has since returned to Belgrade where “his” ATP tournament is taking place this week, he probably knew for a long time that his season was over.
The 2024 financial year was trying for the former world number, both physically and morally, between poor performances, particularly in Grand Slams, a new injury and the increasingly obvious feeling, accentuated by the upcoming retirement of Rafael Nadal, that he reaches the end of the race. For the first time since 2006, he did not win an ATP tournament.
His record for the year, 37 victories for nine defeats, including two against Sinner (finals of the Australian Open and the Shanghai Masters 1000, his last match in 2024) and one against Alcaraz (Wimbledon final) , the new bosses of the ATP circuit aged respectively 23 and 21 who hit harder and run faster than him.
There was also yet another operation, on his right meniscus injured in the round of 16 at Roland Garros, which did not prevent him from reaching the Wimbledon final four weeks later.
At the heart of the clay court season, he even appeared unmotivated and distraught as rarely, after his elimination in the 3rd round of the Masters 1000 in Rome by the Chilean Alejandro Tabilo, two days after an unusual incident.
While he was signing autographs, as a symbol of his new status as a very pale star, the sky fell on his head: he was knocked unconscious by the water bottle that fell from a spectator’s backpack.
There was also a moment of grace when he realized his dream, by becoming Olympic champion on the clay of Roland-Garros against Alcaraz, the only title missing from his enormous record.
With this long break, Djokovic will be able to prepare as best as possible for the 2025 season: he can further mark the history of his sport by joining the closed club of players with 100 ATP titles (99 currently) and afford this 25th Grand Prix title. Slam which would make him the most successful in history, men and women combined.
In the meantime, tennis will continue its well-advanced transition into a new era in Turin. The 2024 edition of the ATP Masters will be the first since 2001 without any member of the “Big 4”, Federer, Djokovic, Nadal and Murray who reigned supreme for more than twenty years.
