Novak Djokovic’s 2024 season has certainly not been one for the history books, at least by his usual standards. Surprisingly, despite all expectations, Djokovic hasn’t managed to claim a single ATP title or Grand Slam this year heading into September. His ranking has dropped to No. 4 in the world, and things look even more precarious in the race to Turin, where he’s currently sitting at No. 9.
What’s hurt Djokovic’s standing in the rankings has been a combination of losing points from key tournaments like the Australian Open, where he was expected to defend or challenge for points. His form has dipped since his Olympic campaign, where many fans believed he had his sights set on gold.
But here’s where it gets interesting. While things look shaky for Djokovic in the Turin race, there’s still an outside chance of sorts for him to qualify, primarily due to Alex de Minaur’s recent injury.
An ATP Finals WITHOUT Novak Djokovic?
With 3260 points, the 7-time champion is currently 9th in the Race.
The last time he missed the Masters was in 2017.
Do you think he can manage to grab a ticket? pic.twitter.com/vOqSMUru5R
— We Are Tennis (@WeAreTennis) September 12, 2024
After de Minaur’s US Open exit, he reportedly aggravated his hip injury from Wimbledon, which might keep him sidelined. Even if de Minaur recovers in the coming weeks, it is never easy for any player to bounce back immediately from an injury which has existed since months.
This opens the door for Djokovic to potentially climb back into contention with strong showings at upcoming tournaments like the Shanghai Masters. A solid performance could easily boost him up to the 7th or 8th spot.
If Djokovic makes it to the 7th spot in the race, it would be the second time in 3 years when he qualifies from that position. With that, he could look to repeat history by winning the tournament like he did in 2022 from that position. But should Djokovic remain at the 9th spot, he would have to hope for an injury to any of the qualified players to make the cut.
On X (formerly Twitter), a lot of fans have speculated that Djokovic’s main goal this year was to win the Olympic gold and that’s why the ATP Finals or other tournaments might not be high on his priority list. The reason behind the theory is also because Djokovic skipped a few important competitions such as the Miami Masters and the Madrid Masters to keep himself fit for Grand Slams and the Olympics. But some still believe that Djokovic will somehow make it to the ATP Finals.
Does he actually want one?
— Joe Wyatt (@JWW8080) September 12, 2024
He doesn’t want to
— Industryto (@industryto) September 12, 2024
Someone will drop out and he will be the replacement. Just saying.
— cath h (@cath_tthc) September 12, 2024
He could care less, he is chilling right now. He’s done it all
— Eric (@GettingEricD) September 12, 2024
After winning the very elusive men’s singles Olympic gold medal, Djokovic opted out of both the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open. Interestingly, just as in the Olympics, the former World No.1 chose to prioritise bringing glory to Serbia on the court by picking the Davis Cup despite the fact that he needs to play in more competitions to stay strong in the rankings.
While it’s hard to know Djokovic’s exact mindset, it’s fair to say that his relentless drive for records and titles might still push him to take advantage of De Minaur’s absence and make one last dash to Turin. Only time will tell if he’s still got the hunger to compete at the highest level.
