What does Djokovic's withdrawal in Paris mean for the ATP Finals fight?

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A few days ago, there was speculation that Novak Djokovic would withdraw from the last Masters 1000 of the year. Now, it has been officially confirmed that the Serbian will not be present at Paris-Bercy, a decision that doesn't come as a surprise to anyone. Therefore, his absence from the French tournament reinforces the idea that he probably won't aim for the ATP Finals this 2024 either. Nole could have wrapped up his season after Shanghai and the Six Kings Slam exhibition, as his main goal of the year has already been achieved: the coveted gold at the Olympic Games.

The Serbian confessed a few weeks ago that he wasn't focusing on the rankings or qualifying for the Masters tournament that gathers the top 8 players of the year. With little time left for that and missing out on the last major points-scoring tournament, it seems unlikely that he would participate even if he does qualify, to defend the title he won by defeating Jannik Sinner in the final. Currently, he is in 6th place in the Race to Turin with 3910 points, so his chances of qualifying, even without playing in Paris, are still very much alive.

Although it seemed unlikely for Nole to attend the Parisian event, nothing could be ruled out, as he eventually went to Shanghai when there were also doubts about his trip to Asia. His good performance up to the final keeps him in the race, but his absence from the last Masters 1000 of the season suggests that whether he qualifies for the ATP Finals or not is not a concern for him. As a fact, this will be the first time since 2017 that the Serbian closes the year without any Masters title, the third in his career.

The Big Beneficiaries after Djokovic's Confirmed Withdrawal

What does Nole's absence in Paris imply? By not earning any points, Djokovic opens the door for some players close behind him to overtake him in the race to Turin. Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, and Daniil Medvedev are the only ones with confirmed qualification, although the lower spots are the most vulnerable. When discussing the major beneficiaries of this withdrawal, Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, and Alex de Miñaur could make good use of it. All three depend on themselves and are competing in ATP tournaments this week before Paris-Bercy, with the Norwegian and the Russian possibly surpassing him in points before the Masters 1000. Will they catch up to the Serbian? Will he be left out of the race? And if he does qualify, will he end up playing? Many unanswered questions that we will gradually discover.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, ¿Qué implica la baja de Djokovic en París para la lucha por las ATP Finals?