Former World Number One Djokovic and the Race to ATP Finals

Holding an unprecedented record with 415 weeks as the world’s No.1, Novak Djokovic boasts 24 Grand Slam titles and countless other records. However, as age catches up, his form has declined, putting him further from the Top 4 and pushing him to compete for a spot among the Top 8 players of the year to qualify for the ATP Finals.

Sinner Ranks First, Djokovic’s Top 4 Status Under Threat (Tennis Rankings 9/17)

With no major ATP tournaments last week, the men’s Top 30 rankings remained unchanged. Jannik Sinner solidified his position at World No.1, marking his 15th consecutive week at the top.

Holding 11,180 points and six titles this season, including two hard-court Grand Slams in Melbourne and New York, Sinner is close to matching Daniil Medvedev’s record of 16 weeks as World No.1. Meanwhile, Djokovic remains at fourth in the ATP Rankings with 5,560 points but is struggling to enter the year’s top 8 players in the Race to Turin.

In these standings, Djokovic is currently ninth with 3,260 points, trailing Alex De Minaur, who holds the eighth spot, by 45 points. This means the Serbian star does not yet have a place in the 2024 ATP Finals, widely regarded as the “Fifth Grand Slam,” set to take place in November in Italy.

Recently, Djokovic shared that the ATP Finals is not his top priority, as he is more focused on Grand Slam events and representing Serbia. This opens up opportunities for Medvedev, Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev, and Alex De Minaur to vie for the remaining ATP Finals spots.

The rankings of other top players also remain relatively stable, with Alexander Zverev at second with 7,075 points, Carlos Alcaraz in third with 6,690 points, and Medvedev at fifth with 5,475 points, trailing Djokovic by only 85 points.

Djokovic Competes in ATP 500 Events to Secure ATP Finals Spot

After his unexpected exit in the third round of the 2024 US Open, Djokovic suffered a shock loss to Alexei Popyrin. It marked the first time in over seven years that Djokovic didn’t advance to the second week of a Grand Slam, also making 2024 a “no Grand Slam” season for the 37-year-old star.

Following the US Open, Djokovic admitted he wasn’t in top form, saying, “I didn’t feel like myself on the court in New York. I wasn’t well-prepared, which put more pressure on me with each match, more than even the Olympic final.”

Nonetheless, Djokovic achieved his major goal of the season by winning the Olympic gold medal in Paris 2024. This was a shining moment for the 37-year-old, as he defeated Carlos Alcaraz in a rematch following his Wimbledon final loss.

Currently ninth in the race for the ATP Finals, Djokovic needs to compete in additional lower-tier tournaments to accumulate points. His upcoming schedule includes two Masters 1000 events: Shanghai and Paris Masters. Additionally, he may enter an ATP 500 tournament, possibly Vienna or Basel, to secure enough points for the Finals.

Djokovic is well aware that qualifying for the ATP Finals is the most crucial goal for the remainder of the 2024 season, and he is prepared to play more tournaments to achieve it.

Last year, Djokovic did not compete in the Shanghai Masters but won the Paris Masters. This year, he has the potential to earn a maximum of 1,500 points if he wins both events and one ATP 500 event as anticipated.