Novak Djokovic’s hopes of a strong Australian Open run boosted by smart decision

But Djokovic did what he felt was best for his own schedule. Skipping the ATP Finals after playing a 250 event in Athens should help him get off to a stronger start in 2026.

At 38, Djokovic has already proven this year that he’s still capable of deep runs at Grand Slams, reaching the semi-finals at every major and taking down Carlos Alcaraz in Melbourne along the way.

If he wants that record-breaking 25th Slam title, his preparation needs to be perfect. With seven ATP Finals titles already under his belt, it’s clear an eighth isn’t high on his list of priorities right now.

Withdrawing from ATP Finals should benefit Djokovic’s Grand Slam bid

Novak Djokovic will probably go down as the greatest player in the history of the men’s game. The Serbian star has changed the conversation about greatness in tennis, and his overall stats back up the claim.

Djokovic forced his way into the conversation after Federer and Nadal had taken over tennis, and he’s since established himself as the best player of all time by a huge margin.

His consistency was unmatched until recently when it started to become clear that he was no longer able to win majors at will like he had done for many years. In fact, it’s been two years since Djokovic last won a Grand Slam title, with 24 major titles overall.

He hasn’t played as much over the past few years, which is an area that could benefit him heading into 2026. While most are winding down their seasons late in November to get themselves right for another long season ahead, Novak took part in a 250 event in Athens this week.

This could give him one final advantage before leaving

The decision from Novak not to compete at Turin wasn’t made until after his win in Athens but given what he put himself through there – playing five matches over six days – it certainly makes sense to rest and recover now with next year looming large.

Losing ranking points by sitting out more events would see him fall outside of the top three seeds at big tournaments but that could be something that works for him rather than against him now where fatigue has played a role during major tournaments so far this year.