"No, no, we're not going to talk about that" - Novak Djokovic keeps his cards close to his chest while ATP Finals qualification remains the goal

Thanks to changes in the calendar out of his control, Novak Djokovic's chances of qualifying for the ATP Finals have been boosted, as he is set to make a return to the Swiss Indoors after 15 years away from the event. This comes with the motivation of picking up crucial ranking points as he targets a return to the climax event on the ATP Tour.

Djokovic won the event in 2023 for the seventh time, becoming the oldest singles player to triumph in it. He qualified for the ATP Finals in both 2024 and 2025 but chose not to participate in them, with Jannik Sinner prevailing in both tournaments on home soil.

His priorities have shifted since, with a return to the elite now on the cards, but it is not that simple. He will need to rack up a big tally of points to get himself back in contention. He sits just over 200 points behind Rafael Jodar in ninth, the final qualification spot.

Following a mixed bag when it came to the Asian swing, Djokovic is back in action at the Swiss Indoors. His plans changed when the Six Kings Slam was postponed, rescheduled for the end of the year. This opens a door and could be a blessing in disguise.

Speaking to SportalRS ahead of making the trip to Basel, the 24-time Grand Slam champion was feeling confident. "I've had a great training session with Dušan [Lajović]," he said. "I'm glad to be in Belgrade and to have the opportunity to train here. Gemax is definitely the best club in Belgrade. It has great indoor facilities and the best indoor training conditions.

"We've been preparing over the last few days before heading to Switzerland. I haven't played Basel for 12 years. The schedule changed because the Saudi Arabia event was postponed until December, which freed up that week. I'm feeling good, and everything is going as it should in terms of my game. Of course, it's not quite where we want it to be yet, but I hope to reach the right competitive level in Basel."

Djokovic opened up on why he did not feature in the last two editions of the ATP Finals. "It was simply a decision I made over the past two years because I had qualified for Turin. I wanted to finish the season earlier, around 24 October, which I managed to do in mid-October," he detailed.

"Last year, I had a shoulder injury because I finished and won the Athens tournament just a day or two before the potential start in Turin. The following day, it turned out that I had torn some muscles in my shoulder. That's why I skipped Turin, mainly. If I had been healthy, I probably would have gone, but I was taking strong medication for the injury just to finish the tournament."

However, the motivation is different. "As for this year, there's the motivation of going to Turin. I'd love to be there, and I have a chance, so we'll see."

Coming with that, the 29-year-old outlined why the conditions would be more beneficial for him. "Another reason for adding a tournament to my indoor schedule this season is that I think it will be easier for me physically to play indoors. You don't have the heat, the sun or the other external factors that you usually have to deal with when playing outdoors. I think that will make a difference for me. Hopefully, things go as well as possible."

He kept his physical condition close to his chest. "It's progressed quite a lot. That's all I can say." The interviewer tried to follow up with another question on the matter, but Djokovic shut it down. "No, no, we're not going to talk about that."

There seems to be no sign of an imminent retirement for the Serbian. His China Open title run showcased the class he still possesses on court, but the consistency is a worry with his health and fitness a concern.

For the time being, the Swiss Indoors is his focus, but 2027 is not too far away, and Djokovic is already assessing his options. "I'm looking at the start of next season, of course," he stated. "I know I'll be in Australia next season. I'll see whether I'll play a tournament in the Middle East, whether I'll add one or not. That still needs to be discussed and agreed with my team as we plan for next season. For now, the focus and concentration are on finishing this season. I hope to finish it properly."

With this comes a lot of unwanted attention and scathing criticism from critics stating that the next pathway in his tennis career should be retirement. Djokovic has heard it all before.

"Well, as long as there are people, there will be speculation and all sorts of things. That's simply human nature. It's not just the case here in Serbia. People like to criticise and judge, often without enough information. But it's nothing I'm not used to."

Going into 2027, Djokovic will also be keeping a close eye on his team. His coach, Viktor Troicki, was still by his side, but there would be discussions at the end of the year to detail what is next. "We've agreed to continue until the end of the season, and then we'll sit down and discuss next year," Djokovic concluded.