What Novak Djokovic Needs at the Paris Masters to Qualify for the ATP Finals After Basel Loss

Novak Djokovic’s defeat at the Swiss Indoors has only complicated his bid to qualify for the ATP Finals. On Thursday (October 29), the Serb, who competed in Basel for the fourth time in his career, suffered a 6-7(4), 7-5, 7-6(5) defeat at the hands of Jan-Lennard Struff in the second round.

It was the seventh time Djokovic lost in the early rounds of tournaments this season. Before the ATP 500 event in Switzerland, Djokovic lost in the opening round of the Shanghai Masters (also the fourth time this season he exited events after losing in the opening round).

The 24-time Grand Slam champion holds the record for the most ATP Finals titles, having lifted seven of them. He last won it in 2023 by defeating the now two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner, who won’t play this time because of a knee injury that eventually forced him to end his season.

It was also the last time he played a match in the event as, in spite of securing a berth in the final eight, he decided not to compete. But this year, he wants to participate. The last time Djokovic failed to qualify for the year-end championships was in 2017. He made his debut in the event in 2007, and tasted success for the first time the following season. From his debut until 2017, he qualified for the tournament every year.

Although this time his Basel defeat has thrown his ATP Finals qualification hopes into disarray, Djokovic still has a chance to book his ticket to Turin. Everything now depends on how he performs at the Paris Masters.

The 39-year-old will kick off his campaign against Valentin Vacherot in the final Masters 1000 of the season. To qualify for the ATP Finals, Djokovic will need to progress to the semifinals in the French capital.

Djokovic has a good record in Paris. He, in fact, holds the record for the most titles, winning seven of them. Nole last clinched a title here in 2023 and decided not to compete in the previous two seasons.

Only four players have secured a berth in the last eight: Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Ben Shelton, and Daniil Medvedev. Among them, Shelton and Alcaraz have never won a title in the event, though the Spaniard finished as the runner-up last year.

Novak Djokovic on his relationship with Roger Federer

If Novak Djokovic wins in Paris, he will take home his 103rd career singles title, matching Roger Federer‘s tally. While in Basel, Djokovic was asked at the press conference about his relationship with the Swiss maestro.

To be honest, he was always professional; I always had a lot of respect for Roger. If anyone deserves the Hall of Fame, it’s him. But we never had a relationship off the court- more of a rivalry- but we have great respect. He paved many paths for younger tennis players.

Novak Djokovic said

This season, Djokovic has made it to two finals, losing the Australian Open and winning the China Open. In Melbourne, Djokovic lost to Carlos Alcaraz. But in the Beijing final, he received a walkover from Alex de Minaur. It was his first title since the 2025 Hellenic Championship.

At the Paris Masters, Jannik Sinner is the defending champion. But he is not competing, as he has ended his season. Alexander Zverev, who will officially dethrone the Italian ace from the No.1 ranking, is the top seed. Sascha clinched his first two Grand Slam titles of his career at the French Open and the US Open, and also reached the final of Wimbledon, losing the match to Sinner.

Also read: Elena Rybakina Reflects on Clinching Career’s First Year-End No.1 Ranking: “It’s an Amazing Achievement”