"Novak Djokovic's vibe has changed & with Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer gone, he might retire sooner": Fans react as Serb rules out ATP Finals as a goal

Tennis fans have registered their reactions to Novak Djokovic ruling out the 2024 ATP Finals as a goal. During a recent press conference at the Davis Cup Finals, Djokovic talked about not being too focused on improving his rankings or qualifying for the 2024 ATP Finals.

Djokovic is currently outside the Top 8 in Race To Turin. With 3,260 points, the Serb ranks ninth behind Australia's Alex de Minaur in the live rankings and also seems uninterested in making it there.

"I am not chasing a place on the ATP list, nor the Final Masters. Those are not my goals, honestly. As for me, I finished my career in other tournaments. I don't know if I will play them in the future or this year," Djokovic told the media at Davis Cup.

Novak about ATP Finals: “No. It’s not my goal at all, nor the ATP rankings. ‘I am done’ with those tournaments. Whether I’ll play it thIs year or the next, I don’t know. From now on, priorities are gonna be Grand Slams and playing for Serbia.” byu/Federal-Phrase6240 intennis

Fans on Reddit speculated the 24-time Grand Slam champion could be approaching his retirement especially since Roger Federer has already hung up his racket and Rafael Nadal is closer than ever to doing the same.

"He [Novak Djokovic] still looks good on the court but not sure how much longer he’s gonna stick around. Since the Olympics, his whole vibe has changed to “just happy to be here” and with Nadal/Federer gone, think he might retire sooner rather than later," a fan wrote.

Comment byu/Federal-Phrase6240 from discussion intennis

"Nadal and Federer have been gone for years now. Rafas last effective season was 2022, and feds 2019 (rip wimbledon). He will stay on tour as long as he is still competitive with sinner and alcaraz. As soon as he starts losing consistently to players like that aussie guy he will retire. Simple as that," another added.

Comment byu/Federal-Phrase6240 from discussion intennis

Here are a few more reactions from Reddit:

"I mean, he was still behind Rafa in Slams in 2022. He wanted to pass him, which served as motivation for his 2023 season," a fan wrote.

"Bro doesn't give a f**k, has pretty much all the records anyway," a fan commented.

"As we suspected. But great to hear from Novak himself… it’s sad that he won’t be there for all tournaments, but I’d rather he show up for the ones he truly wants to play than go out early in Masters. Whether he wins titles or not is immaterial, it’s nice to still have one of the legends around," a fan wrote.

"Translation: I’m retiring next year," a fan remarked.

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Novak Djokovic: "My priorities are playing for the national team and Grand Slams, everything else is less important"

Novak Djokovic (Getty)

In the same press conference, Novak Djokovic said he would prioritize only playing in the Grand Slams and at events representing Serbia. He said:

"My priorities are playing for the national team and Grand Slams, everything else is less important. Now I need a physical, mental, and emotional rest in order to decide what and how to proceed, how much and where," Djokovic said.

He has notably ended the 2024 season without a Major title, losing to Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open semifinals, pulling out of the French Open quarterfinals due to an injury, and ending second-best to Carlos Alcaraz in Wimbledon. Most recently, he lost to Australia's Alexei Popyrin in the third round of the US Open.

Djokovic's sole silverware for the season has come in the form of a gold medal at the Paris Olympics, where he downed Alcaraz in the final.