Novak Djokovic’s season is officially over. As was quite predictable – after skipping the Rolex Paris Masters – the former world number 1 decided to give up the 2024 Nitto ATP Finals. The champion of the last two editions is not present in Turin this year, having other priorities at this stage of his career.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion took a vacation to Maldives with his family and cited an injury as justification for his ATP Finals’ forfeit. The truth is that the 37-year-old from Belgrade wants to focus directly on 2025, where he may have his last chance to win another Major title.

2024 did not give Nole any more Grand Slam titles, but it did allow him to complete the puzzle by winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics during the summer. For the rest, it was a rather stingy season of satisfaction for Djokovic. The former world number 1 reached only two finals this year (in addition to the Olympics), at the Wimbledon Championships and the Masters 1000 in Shanghai, losing to Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner respectively.

Nole sends a message

Novak will have to work hard in the off-season and find new solutions to defeat two much younger opponents next year. Despite winning everything a player could dream of, Djokovic is still motivated and hungry to continue competing at the highest level. The Serbian champion will do his best to break new records and win his 25th Major title, which would allow him to permanently remove Margaret Court in the all-time standings.

In an interview with ‘Sport Klub’ during the Euroleague game between Crvena Zvezda and Alba Berlin in Belgrade, Nole gave an important update on his future: “I am going to play in the first week of the season, I am just not sure yet where. Then, of course, the Australian Open. I told you guys that a million times. I would like to play the Davis Cup too, let’s see what happens. Tennis is still my focus! I am going at full throttle in the off-season, we go for another ride. I just needed to recharge and refresh a bit after an exhausting year.”

It is not yet clear which tournament Novak will play in early 2025, but his intention to go to Melbourne Park at the top of his game is clear. The Australian Open was one of the most iconic tournaments in his legendary career, having raised the trophy ten times ‘Down Under’. Djokovic was not 100% at the 2024 Australian Open, in fact his run stopped in the semifinals against a great Sinner.

During an event before the start of the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, current World No.1 Sinner commented on Djokovic’s absence: “Nole gave so much to the Italian crowd and people wanted to see him play. We are very sorry that he is not here but this is sport, it happens that a player misses tournaments. The season has been long and in any case here there are eight great players, we hope it will be a great tournament. Nole will be missed by everyone.”

Never underestimate a legend

The absences from the Rolex Paris Masters and ATP Finals – two tournaments he won last year – will have a major impact on Novak’s ATP ranking. The 37-year-old from Belgrade will play the 2025 Australian Open away from top positions and will also have to hope for a favorable draw.

His decision to reduce the number of tournaments during the year helps him keep his motivation high, but he also risks becoming a boomerang. There is no doubt that Djokovic’s chances of winning other important titles are closely related to his motivations. At the Paris Olympics – which were his biggest goal – Novak expressed an incredible tennis simply by winning the tournament without losing a single set.

During an interview with ‘Sport Klub’, his former coach Goran Ivanisevic expressed his point of view on this topic: “I can’t tell if he is motivated and how much, but the moment he decides to play, it means he is motivated. Sinner and Alcaraz are well above the rest, but I put Novak in the group with them – when he’s really playing, he’s still the best in the world, in my opinion.

Another thing is how much he wants to play and when – we saw it at the Olympics… If he goes on the court, he can still win a slam. It will also depend on what his rank will be, what kind of draw will fall, that is, when he has to play with Sinner or Alcaraz… There are many factors, but can Novak make it happen? Yes, he can. You should never write him off, I would never do that.”