Italian Tennis President Lifts Lid on the Participation of Novak Djokovic in the ATP Finals

Novak Djokovic will open his account at the Athens Open against Chilean Alejandro Tabilo.

Italian Tennis President Lifts Lid on the Participation of Novak Djokovic in the ATP Finals

Novak Djokovic (Image via X/AllAboutHQ)

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The President of the Italian Tennis Federation, Angelo Binaghi has confirmed that Novak Djokovic will play the ATP Finals in Turin. The 38-year-old’s chances of playing at the tournament fell flat after he decided to compete at the ATP 250 event in Athens, which comes a week before the prestigious season-ending tournament.

Djokovic didn’t compete at the ATP Finals last season despite qualifying, giving Andrey Rublev a spot to compete. The former World No.1 has not competed in any tour-level tournament since losing to Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot in the semi-finals of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Shanghai, China.

He withdrew from the Paris Masters, which concluded on Sunday (November 2) due to personal reasons. But before that, he racked up millions after competing at the Six Kings Slam exhibition tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he failed to win one match and retired in his third-place tie against Taylor Fritz.

Djokovic is currently at the ATP 250 in Athens, a tournament that was formerly known as the Belgrade Open. He recently moved his family from the capital of Serbia to Athens this year after heavy criticism from government officials. His move to the city had raised doubts about his competing at the tournament.

But on Monday (November 3), those doubts were put to bed after Angelo Binaghi confirmed he will compete at the ATP Finals in Turin, scheduled from November 9 to 16. A tennis outlet wrote on X:

The president of the FITP has confirmed that Novak Djokovic will also be present in Turin, as he has not yet shared any announcements or statements about his participation. The Serbian champion is committed this week to the tournament in Athens, where he will take to the court tomorrow against Tabilo.

Should Djokovic compete at the ATP Finals that means the final berth will still be contested for. Currently, the Rolex Paris Masters runner-up, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti are eighth and ninth, respectively, in the Live Race To Turin rankings.

Auger-Aliassime leads Musetti by just 160 points, but Musetti is set to compete at the Athen Open, while the Canadian star has withdrawn from the Metz Open. Should Musetti win the title, he will surpass Auger-Aliassime and compete at the ATP Finals.

Novak Djokovic reveals his excitement about playing at the ATP 250 tournament in Athens

Novak Djokovic is set to compete at the Athens Open as the top seed. He will begin his campaign at the tournament in the round of 16 against Alejandro Tabilo after earning a first-round bye. Tabilo currently holds a 2-0 lead in their head-to-head record on tour having defeated him at the 2025 Monte Carlo Masters.

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (via Punto de Break)

Ahead of his opening match at the ATP 250 tournament, Djokovic revealed via the tournament’s Instagram page that he’s excited about playing at the tournament. He added that he’s also excited that the event is back among the ATP tour-level after 30 years:

I hope that you guys are as excited as I am and all the players to play in Athens, that has the ATP tournament back again after 30 years. There is a great excitement…this arena being one of the most famous basketball arenas in the world, home of Panathinaikos, one of the best clubs in Europe.

Djokovic last title came at an ATP 250 event in Geneva in May. He claimed his 100th tour-level title at the tournament after beating Polish star Hubert Hurkacz in the final in three sets. Before that, his last tour-level crown was at the ATP Finals in Turin, where he defeated World No.1 Jannik Sinner in the championship match.

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