Novak Djokovic and the year-end Nitto ATP Finals work in tandem. The tournament holds the coveted stature of being the biggest tennis finals after the four grand slam majors. It features the top eight singles players and top 8 doubles teams based on their results over the entire year.
Therefore, players need to perform consistently and win matches over the course of the calendar year in order to qualify for the tournament. Plus, it comes with a record hefty paycheck and ATP points. Novak, being a part of the tournament for many years now, will be looking to get his revenge for the Wimbledon final loss against Carlos Alcaraz in the tournament.
Novak Djokovic qualified for 2023 Nitto ATP Finals With Carlos Alcaraz
Novak Djokovic has proven his mantle throughout 2023 by winning the Adelaide International, Australian Open, and French Open while reaching the latter stage of tournaments like Dubai Tennis Championships, Monte-Carlo Masters, Srpska Open, Italian Open and losing to Carlos Alacaraz in an epic marathon final game at Wimbledon. This rich vein of form has led to the Serbian booking his flight to the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.
Djokovic’s seat at the table was confirmed when he defeated Taylor Fritz in the Western & Southern Open quarter-finals. The 36-year-old tennis prodigy has qualified for the tournament 16 times, tied for third-most qualifications in the history of the tournament with Jimmy Connors. 2017 was the only year he failed to qualify(since 2007) and that shows how consistent the maverick Serbian has been over the years.
Djokovic will be joining Carlos Alcaraz, a familiar foe, at the ATP Finals. Alcaraz came back from a set down to down Max Purcell at the Western & Southern Open quarter-finals, thus punching his ticket in the process. Their possible meeting at the tournament would ignite fireworks at the stadium as their 5-setter epic at the Wimbledon Championships showed that, despite their age difference, they can fight tooth and nail till the very end to secure a win.
Novak Djokovic to have the opportunity to surpass Roger Federer in ATP Finals titles
Novak Djokovic is the reigning champion at the ATP Finals. He won in 2022 with a record payout of $4,740,300 and earned close to 1500 ATP points. This was his sixth Tour Finals title, equalling Roger Federer’s record. The former World No. 1 now has the opportunity to become a record-maker through his participation in this year’s tournament.
đ¨Qualified đ¨@DjokerNole has punched his ticket to the 2023 Nitto ATP Finals in Turin đĽ#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/cv2OHUXsNq
— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 19, 2023
The intense Djokovic-Federer rivalry was showcased at the 2019 ATP Finals tournament when Roger Federer triumphed emphatically, ending the chances of Djokovic ending the year as number 1. The Serbian has relinquished the top spot to Alcaraz this year and ignited a new rivalry between the two in the process. He will aim to stamp his authority as the last remaining flagship bearer of the ‘Big 3’ as Federer has retired and Nadal seems highly unlikely to play for long.
With Alcaraz on his heels, Djokovic will look to surpass Federer’s record and become an integral part of the contentious conversation around who the G.O.A.T(Greatest Of All Time) is in tennis.
After his crushing win over Taylor Fritz, Djokovic said, “Thatâs something Iâm wishing for, that every day I raise the bar slightly more, the level of tennis. Thatâs whatâs happening during the tournament. I played three great matches and each day has been a better feeling on the court overall. So hopefully the same trajectory can continue.â
If he does manage to prevail, he can not only achieve record-breaking success at the ATP Finals but also snatch back the number 1 spot from Carlos Alcaraz by winning the ongoing Cincinnati Open.
As a performer, Djokovic’s consistency over the years, and in 2023 particularly has resulted in him securing a coveted spot at the Nitto ATP Finals. He will be looking to overcome any physical and mental barriers that exist before setting the path towards breaking Roger Federer’s record at the tournament and ending the year on a high.
