Novak Djokovic’s participation at upcoming tournaments can’t be guaranteed right now. But his brother Djordje is hoping the tennis legend will show up at the 2025 Athens Open.
Djokovic pulled out of next week’s Paris Masters, even though he’s won the tournament seven times. The decision wasn’t really a surprise though – he skipped the final Masters 1000 event last year too.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion has been dealing with physical problems all year long.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novak Djokovic | 38 | 8,360 | 18 - 6 |
Several times this season, Djokovic couldn’t finish matches because of injuries or just feeling beat up from previous rounds. It’s been pretty tough to watch.
That happened again at his last two tournaments. He was clearly struggling during his 3-6, 4-6 loss to Valentin Vacherot in the Shanghai Masters semifinal. Djokovic didn’t want to take any credit away from the eventual champion afterward, but you could tell something wasn’t right.
Things got worse at the Six Kings Slam. The 38-year-old had to retire after just one set against Taylor Fritz.
His withdrawal from Paris has people wondering if he’ll play again in 2025.
Family tournament in Athens
Here’s where it gets interesting – Djokovic’s family actually owns the Athens Open. It’s scheduled for November 2nd to 8th.
The tournament used to be held in Belgrade until the former world No. 1 moved it to Athens. Word is there were some tensions with the Serbian government that led to the change.
Djordje, who’s one of the main people organizing the event, talked about his brother’s fitness at a press conference. He says Novak feels better than before, but his involvement in Athens is still up in the air.
"He withdrew from Paris, but he is working hard to recover. He has specific problems that worsened in Shanghai. He feels good now, he is doing everything in his power to be in the best possible condition and play in Athens."
Even though it’s just an ATP 250 tournament, Djokovic really wants to play there since he lives in Athens now. Djordje thinks his brother’s amazing recovery skills give them some hope.
"He has said how important it is for him to play in this competition, in front of the Greek fans. He is a mastermind when it comes to preparation and recovery, and that is why he is the best."
The timing’s tricky though. The 2025 ATP Finals are scheduled right after the Athens Open.
Despite being one of the biggest tournaments in tennis, Djokovic didn’t play in Turin last year either. There’s no guarantee he’ll show up for the 2025 edition.
Other players calling it quits early
Djokovic isn’t the only one struggling to finish the season strong.
Jack Draper’s career-best year got cut short by an arm injury. The British player had to withdraw before his US Open second round match, then announced he wouldn’t play again in 2025 to let that problem heal properly.
Holger Rune’s season ended in a really scary way at the Stockholm Open.
He suddenly pulled up during his semifinal against Ugo Humbert with what looked like a serious Achilles injury. The Danish player had surgery and could be out for a year or more.
Frances Tiafoe chose to end his 2025 season early without even having an injury. The two-time US Open semifinalist had a pretty disappointing year and decided to split from his coach David Witt, who used to work with Venus Williams and Jessica Pegula.
On the women’s side, Elina Svitolina, Daria Kasatkina, and Beatriz Haddad Maia all ended their seasons early too.
It’s been a rough year for injuries across the tour. Whether Djokovic can get healthy enough for one more run in Athens – and maybe the ATP Finals – remains to be seen.
