Crisis averted: Novak Djokovic's withdrawal from ATP Finals saves tournament organizers from major gaffe

The directors of the ATP Finals can breathe a sigh of relief after Novak Djokovic announced his withdrawal from the year-ending tournament, allowing them to proceed with the event draw as planned.

Djokovic had long stated he would be shifting his focus to Grand Slam events as his career came to and end. The Serbian opted to skip last week's Paris Masters, and his participation at the ATP Finals in Turin was up in the air. However, Djokovic announced this week that he would be withdrawing from the elite event, which wound up saving the tournament organizers from a disastrous situation.

Only the eight players who have earned the most ranking points in a single season can play the event in Turin. And Djokovic’s withdrawal, despite being the sixth man to qualify, meant the last spots were officially confirmed.

Prior to Djokovic's announcement, there was uncertainty regarding the final line-up for the event. The ATP was reportedly planning to delay the draw and pre-tournament ceremonies until all eight players had guaranteed their places in the tournament. 

Coming into this week’s ATP 250 events in Metz and Belgrade, there were two more spots up for grabs between three players - Casper Ruud, Alex De Minaur and Andrey Rublev. With the finals of both tournaments taking place on Saturday, the completed ATP Finals line-up may not have been known until then.

However, Djokovic's early withdrawal ensured the other three players in contention qualified for the season-ending event. The official draw ceremony and pre-tournament photoshoot are set to take place on Thursday.