Novak Djokovic will have a chance to challenge for the ATP Finals in Turin. The Serbian partly holds control of his destiny as he bolsters his preparations for the Rolex Paris Masters.
His hopes hung by a thread after he succumbed to a Round of 16 loss against Jan-Lennard Struff in a nerve-jangling encounter at the Basel Open. He will need to at least reach the semifinals or final.
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Currently ranked 11th, Djokovic will start his campaign against Valentin Vacherot in the first round, an opponent he has yet to beat on the ATP Tour. If he manages to go past the Monegasque, Djokovic will likely take on Luciano Darderi in the next round.
If he conjures a win, his campaign will only get tougher, with Alex de Minaur awaiting him in the next round. If Novak Djokovic keeps his campaign alive, he will need to conquer the new World No. 1 Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals to progress into the semifinals.
In a scenario where he overcomes all the odds, the 24-time Grand Slam champion will hold a chance to challenge Rafael Jodar, Arthur Fils, Flavio Cobolli, and Frances Tiafoe for a spot at the year-ending showpiece event.
While the 39-year-old Serb’s future remains in a precarious spot, his fans have expressed concern about another premature collapse.
“F** that R1 opponent. Just withdraw,” a user wrote on X.
“How is he going to get through THAT gauntlet,” a user remarked.
“Vacherot 1st round is horrible,” a user stated.
“I suppose, Vacherot Darderi ADM Zverev is a brutal run to SF in any order,” a user wrote on Reddit.
“The fact that he slipped out of bye range screwed him big time here. You’re not likely to get a good draw at a 1 week Masters without a bye,” another user added.
How Novak Djokovic can qualify for the ATP Finals
Novak Djokovic’s chances took a brutal hit when he left Basel after Round of 16. He rued the missed chances against Struff while outlining the aggressive nature of the contest.
“It hurts that I lost, you know, he just played amazing tennis. Maybe there were one or two points where I could have been more aggressive, but all credit goes to him. I don’t remember playing against someone who was this aggressive and this precise. He went with two first serves, and it was just one of those matches,” Djokovic said after the match.
If he clinches the Paris Masters title, he will soar to 3,890 points, which will take him beyond Jodar, but maybe not Alex de Minaur. The best-case scenario for Novak Djokovic remains that both De Minaur and Fritz lose their semifinals at Vienna and Basel respectively and then crash out in the first round at the Paris Masters.
Edited by Pritha Ghosh
