Noak Djokovic won a 7th ATP Finals title in Turin
Novak Djokovic is closing on qualification for the ATP Finals in Turin – but will the seven-time champion play in the end-of-season event?
Taylor Fritz became the fifth place to seal their play in the ATP Finals on Tuesday, as the American cemented his position after Andrey Rublev lost his opening match at the Paris Masters against Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo.
The 7-6(6) 7-6(5) win for Cerundolo represented a hammer blow to Rublev’s hopes of making the ATP Finals, with the Russian struggling to find form and consistency at this vital stage of the season.
Rublev is currently in the final qualifying place for the ATP Finals, yet he could be overtaken in Paris if Australian Alex de Minaur can enjoy a good run at the Paris Masters.
The Australian started his campaign in the final Masters tournament of the year in impressive fashion, as he beat Argentina’s Mariano Navone 7-5 6-1.
That moved De Minaur to just 125 points behind Rublev in the battle for the final place in the ATP Finals, but this story could change if Djokovic pulls out of the event in Turin.
He has made it clear that qualifying for the ATP Finals is no longer a priority at this stage of his career, with the 37-year-old offering up these comments last month.
“Torino is not my goal at all, to be honest, I am not chasing ATP Finals, I am not chasing the rankings,” he said after playing for Serbia in the Davis Cup.
“As far as I am concerned, I am done with those tournaments for my career. Whether I will play in other tournaments this year or in the future, I can’t say right now.
“My main priorities are playing for the national team and slams, everything else is less important.”
Djokovic then confirmed he would not play in the final Masters 1000 tournament of the year in Paris, a few days after he took part in the lucrative Six Kings Slam event in Saudi Arabia.
“Unfortunately I won’t be playing the Paris Masters this year,” wrote Djokovic on his social media pages.
“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.”
That decision opened the door for a host of players to leap ahead of Djokovic in the ATP Finals race, but Rublev’s early defeat kept the Serbian legend on course to qualify.
Casper Ruud’s defeat in his opening match against Jordan Thompson pushed Djokovic closer to qualification for Tutin and De Minaur will need a strong run in Paris to overhaul Djokovic, but it looked like he will have the option to play in Turin.
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So what are the chances of Djokovic playing in Turin if he qualifies?
He could have confirmed his season was over when he made the announcement about his withdrawal from the Paris Masters, so he is clearly leaving the door open for an appearance at the ATP Finals.
The question will be whether he has the desire to commit to a week of high-level competition against the best players in the game, as he chases another title in an event he has won more than anyone else.
His interview with La Nacion earlier this month gave an insight into his ambition at this point in his tennis journey and he suggested there is still some fire burning inside him for more success.
“Deep inside I feel that I still have more Grand Slams to win,” said 24-time Grand Slam king Djokovic.
“What still pushes me to compete, especially in the Grand Slams, is the feeling that I can be a candidate to win it. And also for my country. I love playing in the Davis Cup for Serbia.
“When I have to motivate myself, there are two things: one is to continue believing that I have the ability to continue fighting for the majors and win them.
“And second: tennis is still my biggest platform to do other things that interest me and share the messages that interest me, whether they are related to tennis, society, some venture that I have, something that seriously builds my legacy, my brand.
“I still feel that I enjoy the process and it generates all these benefits for me, so why not do it? Some people think I should retire from tennis at the top: “You won gold, you won everything, say goodbye.”
“Some people think I should keep going as long as I still think I can be the favourite for a Grand Slam. I think more like them. Maybe I will change my mind, I don’t know. For now, I feel like I want to keep going.
“How much longer? Travelling and finding motivation are becoming more difficult for me. It’s not easy. And even less so with children. I don’t want to be away from home for so long, but I still have the drive.
“So I feel sorry for those who want me to retire because they will have to see me for a while longer.”
Djokovic clearly wants to win more major titles before he hangs up his rackets and we will get a big club on the level of his motivation if he has to decide whether or not to play at the ATP Finals next month.
