"Djokovic earned his right to be in the field" - Mark Petchey and Jim Courier side with Novak Djokovic's decision to skip ATP Finals

Novak Djokovic has divided opinion after taking the executive decision to not compete in the ATP Finals. While many fans have an issue with this, Mark Petchey and Jim Courier had no qualms with the seven-time champion sitting out.

After competing and triumphing in the Hellenic Championship, Djokovic was cutting it very fine to make a decision ahead of the final event in 2025. An elbow injury made his decision slightly easier as he informed Lorenzo Musetti at the net after their final clash. To see Musetti's fixtures and results, follow our ATP Finals coverage here.

Emma Raducanu's former coach had not problems with this decision. "Yeah, no problem at all," he said on the Tennis Channel.

Next year, the Race to Turin will be cut off after the Paris Masters to avoid the debacle that has surrounded this year's tournament. "I think a big shout-out to the ATP that next year, of course, the race finishes after Paris," Petchey said, fully backing the ATP's decision. "Any tournaments after Paris won’t count towards qualification, so we won’t have this situation again." 

He labelled it as a huge chance for the Serbian to step up recovery and preparation ahead of going Down Under in January. "But Novak’s allowed to do what he wants, as far as I’m concerned. He’s given everything to the sport," Petchey acknowledged. "If he feels he needs it — and let’s not forget, he’s got an extra week now ahead of the new season, because the Australian Open is a week later this year — this is a huge off-season for him. It’s a big chance to take a break and get himself ready, which, of course, is his biggest goal: winning more majors."

Courier focused on the positive aspect of this decision - Musetti making his debut in the event. "Look, big picture — if you look at it from Musetti’s perspective, you might think, 'Boy, it would’ve been nice to know.' If Novak knew before the tournament started, or at any point, that by not playing, Lorenzo would get in, that might have changed things," the American said. "Musetti’s going to come into his first ATP Finals gassed — he’s going to be on fumes. But he’s in, and that’s great for him."

The four-time Grand Slam champion also noted that we do not know all the proceedings behind the scenes. "We’ve got to give a lot of room for what we don’t know. There are so many factors in play here," he admitted. "Novak was strapped up on his shoulder — that’s the reason he’s not playing. His family owns that tournament, so he has responsibilities to it too. Whatever his decision-making process was, it could have impacted the whole tournament. So, like you, I give a lot of room for what I don’t know."

He followed up by backing what Petchey commented. "What I do know is that Djokovic earned his right to be in the field — and also has the right to pull out whenever he wants. That’s where I stand. I’m sure there are a lot of people out there saying, 'He shouldn’t have done this.' But we just don’t know what he knows — and unless you’re in his seat, I don’t think you can give a fair assessment of it."

Petchey was also very excited to witness Musetti step out onto the court in Turin for the first time. "It was exciting as a fan to see whether Musetti was going to get in or not. But ultimately, what you want is a draw that’s set so you can build towards it without any doubt about who’s going to be there. For Musetti, it’s great news — he gets to make his debut," he concluded.