For the first time since 2005, Novak Djokovic will end a season without an ATP title after his withdrawal from the 2024 ATP Finals. The Serb won his first career title in 2006 at the Dutch Open in Amersfoort, where he defeated Chile’s Nicolás Massú in the final.

Since that first title in 2006, he has moved on to become one of the greatest tennis players of all time, amassing 99 career titles which includes 24 Grand Slams and 40 ATP Masters 1000 titles. This record places him at No. 3 on the all-time list of players with the most titles in the Open Era, behind only Roger Federer and Jimmy Connors.

All of Novak Djokovic’s attempts to win an ATP title this season have fallen short. He had another shot at a title at the ATP Finals; however, on Tuesday (Nov. 5), the Serb announced via his Instagram story that he would miss this year’s tournament due to an injury.

“It’s quite an honor to qualify for the @nittoatpfinals in Turin. I was really looking forward to being there, but due to ongoing injury I won’t be playing next week. Apologies to those who were planning to see me. Wishing all the players a great tournament. See you soon!” he wrote.

The last time he competed was at the Shanghai Open in October, where he reached the final but was defeated by World No. 1 Jannik Sinner. The Serb has had a season filled with ups and downs, including reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open, where he suffered a knee injury that required surgery. Upon his return, he made it to the final of Wimbledon and has been using a knee brace since his return.

The major highlight of his season was completing the career Super Slam by winning the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the final. This is a record that he shares only with the American legend Andre Agassi.

Novak Djokovic won the ATP Finals for the seventh time last season

Novak Djokovic is the only player in history to win the ATP Finals title seven times. The Serb won the year-end championship in 2008, then four consecutive victories from 2012 to 2015, and added two more titles in 2022 and 2023.

In last season’s edition, Djokovic defeated Holger Rune and Hubert Hurkacz but lost to Jannik Sinner in the round-robin stage. However, the points he earned were enough to qualify him for the semifinals, where he faced Carlos Alcaraz and came out on top. The Serb then outclassed Jannik Sinner in the final to lift the title.

Rafael Nadal didn’t qualify for this year’s edition, and due to Roger Federer’s retirement in 2022, this will mark the first time since 2001 that neither member of the Big Three will be participating in the ATP Finals.