Novak Djokovic's withdrawal puts Lorenzo Musetti in ATP Finals group with Carlos Alcaraz

Novak Djokovic will miss his second consecutive ATP Finals.

Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the ATP Finals 2025 in Turin due to a shoulder injury. The 24-time Grand Slam champion was reluctant to reveal his decision during the tournament.

However, after winning the Hellenic Championships, he announced that he would not be participating in the year-end competition.

Addressing his withdrawal from the ATP Finals for the second consecutive season, Djokovic claimed that he was keen on participating in the year-end competition.

However, the continuing shoulder injury has ruled him out of the competition. Despite the injury setback, the Serbian tennis star is looking forward to returning to action soon.

He shared a story on Instagram, where he wrote, “I was really looking forward to competing in Turin and giving my best, but after today’s final in Athens, I regret to share that I must withdraw due to a continuing injury.

I am so sorry to the fans who were looking forward to seeing me play; your support means so much to me. I wish all the players an amazing tournament, and I look forward to being back on the court with you all soon!”

The 38-year-old defeated Lorenzo Musetti in a three-hour thriller in Athens. Djokovic won his second title of the season, which was his first hardcourt title since the 2023 ATP Finals, where he defeated Jannik Sinner in the summit clash.

It was also Djokovic’s 72nd hardcourt title, one more than Swiss maestro Roger Federer, who held the record earlier.

The Serbian tennis star enjoyed a fairly successful season, winning two titles on the tour while also reaching the semi-finals of all four Grand Slams.

Also Read: Novak Djokovic clinches 101st career title, surpasses Roger Federer to set new hardcourt record

The 24-time Grand Slam champion played 50 matches this year, maintaining a win-loss record of 39-11. Meanwhile, he also featured in the semi-finals of the Six Kings Slam, where he lost to Jannik Sinner in straight sets.

On the other hand, due to the loss in the Athens final, Felix Auger-Aliassime secured a spot over Lorenzo Musetti in the ATP finals.

However, due to Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal, the Italian tennis star has become a part of Jimmy Connors’ group alongside Carlos Alcaraz, Alex de Minaur and Taylor Fritz.

Discussing the prospect of facing Musetti instead of Djokovic in the group stage, Carlos Alcaraz noted that the 24-time Grand Slam champion brings valuable experience to the court. As a result, beating him would have been difficult compared to Musetti.

He said after defeating Alex de Minaur at the ATP Finals, “Well, obviously someone like Novak being in the group is always tough.

The experience he has in this tournament, the level he has on indoor court, it’s quite good. I lost to him in 2023, and I played great. He killed me. To be honest, I prefer Lorenzo. I’m not going to lie.”

The Serbian tennis star missed the ATP finals last year, too, due to fitness concerns. However, he’s expected to return at the Australian Open next year.

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