Most experts and insiders were convinced that Novak Djokovic would only play the Athens ATP 250 in this last part of the season, given that the Greek tournament was the only event that the Serbian legend had confirmed during his last press conference at the US Open.
The former world No.1 also reached the semifinals in New York at the end of the summer, confirming his innate ability to raise his level in the most prestigious events on the calendar, but he never gave the feeling of being able to beat Carlos Alcaraz at the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Immediately after that loss, the 24-time Grand Slam champion admitted that at this point in his career he has a better chance of defeating Jannik Sinner and Carlitos Alcaraz in best-of-three sets. The 38-year-old from Belgrade has lifted only one trophy this season, the Geneva ATP 250, which allowed him to finally break the curse by winning the 100th title of his unrepeatable career.
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Djokovic surprises
A few hours ago, the official website of the Shanghai Masters 1000 announced that Nole will participate in the 2025 edition. He had been present at the penultimate Masters 1000 of the season last year as well, reaching the final and losing only to Sinner after an excellent run.
This decision by Novak who has triumphed four times in Shanghai during his career once again demonstrates his desire to continue competing at the highest level and increases the chances of seeing him in action at the Nitto ATP Finals in November.
Djokovic had not been present in Turin in 2024, despite winning the title in 2023 by beating local idol Sinner in the final. The feeling is that the former world number 1 has understood that he has to play more tournaments to be competitive against opponents much younger than him, in view of the next season that will be decisive for his future. If he doesn't lift a Grand Slam title even in 2026, Nole could really decide to start a new chapter in his life.
