Novak Djokovic finished fourth at the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh following a retirement against Taylor Fritz on Saturday. The veteran lost a grueling opening set 7-6 in 75 minutes before ending his campaign due to physical issues.
Novak is likely dealing with a groin injury that he experienced at the Shanghai Masters. He could not challenge Jannik Sinner in Riyadh or finish the duel against Fritz.
The 24-time Major winner gave everything during the physically demanding exchanges against the American. He wasted set points and left the court after having nothing left in the tank for the second set.
Djokovic left Riyadh disappointed. However, he remains focused on recovery, planning to use the coming weeks to rest and regain full fitness. Novak will likely skip next week's Paris Masters.
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He plans to compete at the ATP 250 event in Athens in November and prepare for the ATP Finals, having qualified for the premium ATP event for the record-matching 18th time.
With Athens and Turin likely in his schedule, the Serb aims to finish the season on a high note and chase his second title of the year after conquering Geneva in May.
At 38, Djokovic is the third-best player of the season behind Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. The veteran reached the semi-final at all four Majors, alongside one Masters 1000 final and one ATP 250 title, the 100th of his career.
After demanding stretch of matches in Shanghai and Riyadh, Novak now focuses on healing his body and preparing for one final push in 2025, likely at two events.
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"Now it's time to rest and really address some of the issues I have with my body. Then, hopefully, I can play the last couple of tournaments of the season. Let's see," Novak Djokovic said.
