Novak Djokovic is not competing at this week’s Belgrade Open, but he still delighted fans by appearing and signing autographs.
Djokovic’s plans for the rest of the season are uncertain. He will likely qualify for the ATP Finals this week, the prestigious year-end tournament the Serbian has won seven times, including last year.
Only Andrey Rublev winning the Moselle Open in Metz, Alex de Minaur securing the title in Belgrade, and Casper Ruud reaching at least the semifinal in Metz all occurring together could prevent Djokovic from qualifying for the ATP Finals.
However, Djokovic might not compete at the tournament held in Turin. The 37-year-old has spoken about the four Grand Slams and representing Serbia being his priority, suggesting he might be done with tournaments like the ATP Finals.
The only tournament Djokovic has committed to traveling to is the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, where his old rival Rafael Nadal will compete for the final time before retiring from the sport.
Djokovic’s promise to attend Nadal’s final event shows his respect for the 14-time French Open champion. The pair played for the final time before the Spaniard’s retirement at the Six Kings Slam last month, and Djokovic paid an emotional tribute to Nadal afterward.
The former world No. 1 has not officially ruled out playing at the ATP Finals. Figures like Greg Rusedski think he will skip the tournament to get himself fully fit for the 2025 Australian Open, but Djokovic’s decision is uncertain at this stage.
Some felt the 24-time Grand Slam champion’s season might be over after he was pictured on holiday with his family in the Maldives. At that stage, it was unknown how long he would stay there.
Djokovic is now back in Serbia, where an ATP 250 event is taking place in Belgrade. Fans were surprised and thrilled in equal measure when the home hero made an appearance on Monday.