Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic has announced that he may skip several upcoming tournaments, including the prestigious year-end ATP Finals.
The 37-year-old, who has been reducing his participation in various events over the past few years, is now focusing primarily on Grand Slam victories and representing Serbia in international competitions.
Djokovic, who celebrated his 37th birthday earlier this summer, stated, "Torino [the ATP Finals] is not my goal at all, to be honest. I am not chasing ATP Finals, I am not chasing the rankings. As far as I’m concerned, I am done with those tournaments for my career."
The tennis legend emphasized that his main priorities are now playing for the national team and competing in Grand Slam events. "My main priorities are playing for the national team and Slams. Everything else is less important," he added.
Despite being listed for next month's Shanghai Masters and the Paris Masters, where 1,000 ranking points are up for grabs, Djokovic's recent comments suggest he might skip these tournaments to conserve his energy for next year's Grand Slams.
"It's true that I'm focused pretty much solely on Grand Slams and Olympics this year and playing for my country, really. That's something that really drives me the most today," he admitted.
This strategic shift marks an important change in Djokovic's career approach, as he aims to manage his physical and mental resources more effectively. "Usually in my career I used to have my schedule ready six months in advance, but nowadays that’s not the case. Now it’s more spontaneous.
Firstly, I need to physically, emotionally and mentally rest in order to even start thinking what I want to do next, in what way, how much and where," he explained.
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