"After the semi-final I was optimistic, but today I didn’t feel well" - Novak Djokovic unveils injury setback costing him participating in ATP Finals

The ATP Finals kick off today, with eight of the best players in the world competing for the prestigious title. However, it will not feature seven-time champion Novak Djokovic who shed some light on his absence.

Djokovic followed in the footsteps of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner in qualifying for the event in Turin. Despite not featuring on court as much as other players, four Grand Slam semi-finals in 2025 have helped him accumulate enough ranking points to progress to what would have been his 17th ATP Finals - tying Roger Federer's record - and 18th he had qualified for.

Speculation rose around his participation with him refusing to come to a decision in a hurry. His lack of time on court raised questions on if her was slowing down, with good reason as Djokovic in 38-years-old. He skipped the Paris Masters to ramp up preparations for the Hellenic Championship. He was always going to prioritise his home event after moving from Belgrade to Athens.

While competing in Athens, the Serbian was fighting an elbow problem. He managed to get to the final without dropping a set before defeating Lorenzo Musetti in three sets to clinch a special title for Djokovic. However, with this triumph came a setback. His participation in the home event was a huge risk with the ATP Finals looming. The final - played yesterday, would leave Djokovic just one day before his opening Round Robin clash.

With this elbow issue, Djokovic made the executive decision to skip the ATP Finals. “It’s been an issue all week. That’s why I didn’t want to make a decision about Turin early, I wanted to see how my body would react to the matches," Djokovic said in his press conference. "After the semi-final I was optimistic, but today (Saturday), even before the final, I didn’t feel well. I had to take strong medication to be able to play."

He cited a lack of recovery time as the reason. “Now that the effect of it is wearing off, I don’t expect a good feeling in the shoulder. I can’t compete at the level needed for a tournament like the ATP Finals. I have to play the day after tomorrow (Sunday) and there’s just no time to recover,” Djokovic admitted.

“It’s very sad for me, because I like playing indoors and in Turin I had success,” Djokovic continued. In the three editions competed in Turn, he made it out of the group on all three occasions, leaving Italy with the top prize in 2022 and 2023. He has not appeared since.

“The fans there are great. Honestly, I’m sorry. But at least Musetti will be there, so something positive comes out! I wish everyone a wonderful tournament and I hope to have another opportunity to participate next year,” Djokovic said.

While it is bad news for Djokovic, it is a huge relief for Musetti. The Italian will make his debut in the ATP Finals on home soil despite not doing enough to climb into the top eight qualifying positions. He firmly placed himself under the cosh after a second-round defeat against fellow countryman Lorenzo Sonego in the Paris Masters.

He could only watch from a distance the run Felix Auger-Aliassime would make. The Canadian swept aside everyone in his way to reach the final but was defeated by Sinner. This left the door slightly ajar for the two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist. If he won the title in Athens, he would leapfrog Auger-Aliassime. Unfortunately, his long wait for a title would continue as Djokovic denied him. Despite this, he would have breathed a huge sigh of relief after the 24-time Grand Slam champion announced his withdrawal from the event. It will be fascinating to see how he recovers from his final escapade from Athens as he competes with the best tennis players in the planet for glory.