What's next for Novak Djokovic after disappointing US Open exit? Can he play in ATP Finals?

Novak Djokovic hasn’t won a title this season besides the Olympic gold.

Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic suffered a disappointing loss against Australia’s Alexei Popyrin in the third round of US Open 2024. Except for excelling at Paris Olympics 2024, the 37-year-old has had a forgettable season.

He failed to defend his Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open, Roland Garros, and the US Open. Also, he didn’t win a single title on the tour. He also entered the ATP 250 Geneva Open, where he lost to Czechia’s Tomas Machac in three sets in the semifinals.

Due to not winning any titles on the tour this season, Djokovic’s hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals have also declined. After his elimination from Flushing Meadows, Djokovic dropped to seventh in the race to the ATP Finals.

Meanwhile, after Taylor Fritz defeated Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals of the US Open 2024, the Serb shifted to the ninth spot in the ATP Race. It means he will not be involved in the ATP Finals unless he can pick up more ranking points. The top eight players in the ATP race rankings qualify for the Finals, which take place in November.

Failing to reach the ATP Finals would mean that the Serbian tennis star won’t be able to defend his title. Last year, he ended second in the green group behind Jannik Sinner. However, he later stunned the Italian in a championship match to win the ATP Finals.

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Before the ATP Finals in Turin, two ATP 1000 events will take place, the Shanghai Open and the Paris Masters. Djokovic hasn’t played in Shanghai since 2019 and as a result, the Serbian tennis star would have an opportunity to win 1000 ranking points.

Meanwhile, the 37-year-old is the defending champion at the Paris Masters. As a result, failing to win the title would increase problems for the Serb. Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Alexander Zverev are certain to qualify for the tournament.

However, Taylor Fritz has taken a decent three-spot leap over the likes of Alex de Minaur, Grigor Dimitrov and Novak Djokovic to get to the seventh spot. With a win over countryman Frances Tiafoe in the semifinals of the US Open, he would also overtake Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud.

Djokovic has been reluctant to play in lower-level tournaments. However, if he fails to perform at the ATP 1000 tournaments, he must play in other competitions to secure a position in the Finals.

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