Novak Djokovic Skips ATP Finals Due to "Ongoing Injury"

Novak Djokovic will not defend his title at the 2024 ATP Finals in Turin, Italy.

Novak Djokovic will not compete in the 2024 ATP Finals due to an "ongoing injury." / Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Early Tuesday morning, Novak Djokovic announced that he would not play in the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, Italy. Djokovic broke the news with a brief but polite message on his Instagram story.

"It's quite an honor to qualify for the @nittoatpfinals in Turn (praying hands emoji). I was really looking forward to being there, but due to an ongoing injury I won't be playing next week," wrote Djokovic.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion concluded, "Apologies to those who were planning to see me. Wishing all the players a great tournament. See you soon!"

🚨

Novak Djokovic withdraws from the Nitto ATP Finals, due to ‘ongoing injury’.

Ends his season. pic.twitter.com/uCINfHhLUM

— Olly 🎾🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) November 5, 2024

While it is disappointing to tennis fans that Djokovic will not try to defend his title as reigning ATP Finals champion, his decision not to play is not a surprise. In September, Djokovic was asked about playing in the ATP Finals, and his answer could not have been more clear.

Djokovic said, "No. It's not my goal at all, nor the ATP rankings. I am done with those tournaments." He went on to say he was focused on Grand Slams and representing Serbia in international competition (including the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics).

The 37-year-old created plenty of highlights this year. The enduring memories have to be his gold medal in the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics and battling back from a knee injury sustained in the French Open to make it to the Wimbledon finals.

Wishing Novak a speedy recovery ❤️‍🩹 pic.twitter.com/gCDfj7y75C

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) November 5, 2024

Djokovic is currently the ATP World No. 5 with a record of 37-9 with one singles title. However, he will surely slide down further in the ATP Rankings by the end of 2024. Djokovic's decision not to play also solidifies the field for the ATP Finals.

The ATP Finals field will consist of Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, Alex de Minaur, and Andrey Rublev. The ATP Finals will begin on Sunday, November 10.

Meanwhile, Djokovic's last ATP event of 2024 was a loss to Jannik Sinner the Shanghai Masters finals. He finished off his year by playing Rafael Nadal in the third place match of non-ATP Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia.

Fans can expect to see Djokovic back on the court in January 205 for the Australian Open. Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.

More ATP Tennis News

• Novak Djokovic's Lacoste shirt for the APT Finals is receiving harsh reviews.

• Taylor Fritz used a tennis racket to defend his girlfriend from a potential burglar.

• Carlos Alcaraz criticized the "crazy" court after losing in the Rolex Paris Masters.