Germany’s
Alexander Zverev has opened up about the absence
of the former world number one
Novak Djokovic from the upcoming
ATP Finals albeit with jibes from his fellow rivals.
The
last major event in the men’s tennis calendar is set to begin in a few days in Turin,
Italy, where the top eight players will participate to showcase their talent
and secure the ultimate prize.
One big-name player who will miss out on this year’s
competition will be the defending champion, Djokovic. The 37-year-old, who is
often regarded as the greatest player in the history of men’s tennis in the
singles category in the Open era, having won as many as 24 Grand Slam titles,
lifted the ATP Finals title last year after beating reigning world number one Sinner
in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-3.
A few days back, Djokovic announced in a post on his official
account on the social media platform Instagram that he would not take part in
the upcoming mega-event because of a fitness concern. "I was really
looking forward to being there, but due to ongoing injury, I won't be playing
next week," he wrote. “Apologies to those who were planning to see me. I wish
all the players a great tournament. See you soon!"
Zverev, who will be playing the upcoming competition as the
number two seed and is coming off an impressive triumph in the Paris Masters, was
recently quoted in a report by the English media outlet Daily Express, where he
stated that it would be ‘strange’ not to have Djokovic play the competition,
especially because of his success in the ATP Finals.
“I think I played the Finals the most out of everyone. F*** I feel old," said Zverev. To which Rublev replied: "You are".
“Can you be quiet?” he joked. “We’re quiet, we don’t get any questions so you go ahead," stepped in Ruud.
“I think it’s strange to not see Novak here just because of
all the success he had and for me, he’s still one of the best players in the
world,” said the reigning world number two. ““I mean, he qualified for this
event, right? He just chose not to play it.”