Tennis phenom Novak Djokovic has officially pulled out of next week’s highly anticipated Paris Masters tournament. His announcement, shared via social media, comes on the heels of an exhibition match where he was forced to retire early due to a persistent leg injury.
This season, the prodigious 24-time Grand Slam champion has maintained a noticeably light schedule, competing in only eight ATP Tour events outside of the four major championships.
Despite his limited appearances, the 38-year-old Djokovic continued to showcase his elite form, reaching the semifinals at every Grand Slam event this year: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Remarkably, his only tournament play between late May and late September was exclusively at these three prestigious Slams.
His last official outing saw him exit the Shanghai Masters in the semifinals, a performance reportedly hampered by a sore hip.
Just last week, Djokovic participated in the Six Kings Slam, an invitational event held in Saudi Arabia. After receiving an initial bye, he faced a defeat at the hands of Jannik Sinner. Later, in a match to determine the third-place finisher against Taylor Fritz, Djokovic was compelled to stop playing after just one set due to his injury.
The season-ending ATP Finals, for which Djokovic has already secured qualification, are scheduled to take place from November 9-16 in Turin, Italy. It’s worth noting that he had chosen to bypass the 2024 edition of this elite tournament.