Tennis is experiencing strange and turbulent times, a changing of the guard. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have become the kings of mambo; The Italian’s future hangs in the balance due to a doping case; Rafael Nadal is about to retire; and Saudi Arabia continues to take steps to finally break down the door. It’s all so confusing that A pixelated photograph of Novak Djokovic on vacation in the Maldives is a good summary of the delicate state of health of the racket industry.
The 24 Grand Slam champion He played the Six Kings Slam two weeks ago, the million-dollar exhibition in Saudi Arabia in which he faced Sinner and Nadal, and shortly after, on October 23, he resigned from the last Masters 1000 of the season which is being held these days in Paris-Bercy.
Instead of traveling with the rest of the tennis players to the French capital, the Serbian got on a plane and went to relax in the Maldivesaccording to several images that have been shared on social networks in which the former number one appears resting and bathing on the beach. The one that has gone viral the most is a pixelated upload to Instagram by the @djokovicfamily account. Djokovic has already achieved such status that meets all the requirements in the ATP regulations to skip a mandatory tournament like Paris-Bercy.
The one from Belgrade can choose which events to play and does not have the need to submit an injury report to not appear in a certain tournament. It’s enough that you don’t feel like it. And right now, what Nole wants is to rest. He already said it a few weeks ago. “If I want to prolong my career, I need to choose the tournaments I play intelligently. Turin is no longer a goal for me, at all. To be honest, I’m no longer chasing the ATP Finals or the ranking…“said the 37-year-old tennis player in mid-September.
“I can’t say if I will play other tournaments this year or in the future. My priorities are playing for the national team and the Grand Slams. Everything else is less important“he added, drawing a huge question mark for the future. After these statements, Nole played the Shanghai Masters 1000, where he reached the final, and the exhibition in Saudi Arabia.
A problem for the ATP Finals
Now he will have to decide if he wants to participate in the ATP Finals, a tournament he has won seven times. and which is celebrated in Turin from November 10 to 17. At the moment he does not have a guaranteed place, but everything indicates that he will finish the Race among the top eight in the classification.
If we take into account what he said in September and his vacation in the Maldives, it is quite likely that the Serbian will give up the ATP Finals. AND It would be a huge blow to the industry: the best player of all time saying that he does not play one of the most important tournaments due to lack of motivation. Not even a prize of up to 4.8 million dollars (in case of winning the tournament undefeated) seems to seduce Djokovic.
The outlook right now for the ATP Finals is far from ideal for the organizers. Only Sinner – with all the asterisks he has above him – and Alcaraz arrive in great shape. The rest of the rivals are with physical problems or far from their best level. And to that is added Djokovic’s confusing present.
The 24 Grand Slam champion He has enough quality to get out of the hammock, take a flight to Turin and win the tournament. But it doesn’t seem like a very plausible option. right now. The most likely thing, in fact, is that the Serbian has already played his last match of the year 2024, a season in which he won the greatest joy of his career – the Olympic gold – but in which he did not celebrate any ATP title.
Nadal: “It’s normal for me to have a mental slump”
At 37 years old and after a knee operation midway through the course, Djokovic has made it clear that he will concentrate his efforts by 2025 on the Grand Slam tournaments and the competitions in which he can represent Serbia. But The symptoms with which the year is going to end are not good.
“I think it is human that Novakalthough he is still healthy, as he is old and it is logical that the clock takes its toll on all of us and that, once Federer has left, once I leave, who in the end we have been his two great rivals, At some point you also have a little mental breakdown and you will find the reason to take a step aside.”Nadal reflected a couple of weeks ago in an interview with As. “It’s what happens to everyone. And Novak is good enough to, if he’s healthy, continue being competitive at the highest level and aspire to win the bigger tournaments. And if he continues to be happy doing what he does, he will keep it. If at some point, everything he has to do no longer compensates him enough to have the option of continuing to be at the highest level, then he will take a step aside.”.
