Novak Djokovic pulls out of the ATP Finals tourney

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

There will be no Novak Djokovic in the season-ending championship tournament of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).

In a surprising turn of events, the man who has won the most Grand Slam championship titles had to withdraw from the ATP Finals due to an injury setback he sustained at the Hellenic Open in Athens.

In Saturday’s grand finals match against Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, Djokovic had to get through the grinder after coming back from a set down to claim the golden trophy, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.

However, despite going home with another major trophy, Djokovic confirmed that he wouldn’t be able to fly to Turin, Italy, to compete in the ATP Finals after re-aggravating his ongoing shoulder injury.

“I was really looking forward to competing in Turin and giving my best, but after today’s final in Athens, I’m sad to share that I need to withdraw due to an ongoing injury,” Djokovic wrote on his official social media account.

It was a grueling grand finals matchup for Djokovic after fighting back from a 0-1 set deficit.

To make things worse, the third and final set got dragged to 12 long game sets.

Djokovic admitted that he fought through the injury, and climbing back on the pedestal in Athens became the best gift he received after losing in Shanghai.

With the come-from-behind win in Athens, Djokovic moved two ATP major titles away from equalizing Roger Federer’s 103, but he will have to be in form if he wants to surpass Jimmy Connors, who tops the record with 109 titles.

To boot out Musetti, Djokovic needed three hours—an incredible chess match of strategic counters that treated tennis fans who graced the Hellenic Open finals.

“It could have been anybody’s match, so congrats to him for an amazing performance, and I just feel very proud of myself to get through this one,” Djokovic said after bagging the win.

In the remaining month of the ATP tournament calendar, Djokovic said that he will be using the window to head back to rehab and further strengthen his physical conditioning for another busy 2026.

“I’m truly sorry to the fans who were hoping to see me play,” Djokovic added.
“Your support means so much. I wish all the players an amazing tournament, and I can’t wait to be back on the court with you all soon.”