Novak Djokovic will skip the Paris Masters for the second straight year. The seven-time champion decided to take a break after the Shanghai Masters and the Six Kings Slam.
The 38-year-old has been dealing with physical issues, and his withdrawal from the final Masters 1000 event of the season came as no surprise. A couple of days ago, Novak hinted it after saying he wants to prepare for the final two events of the season.
The first is the ATP 250 event in Athens, where Djokovic currently lives. After that, the 24-time Major winner would love to enter the ATP Finals after qualifying for the 18th time.
Novak has been waiting to lift his 41st Masters 1000 title since conquering Paris two years ago. This season, he lost a tight Miami Open final to Jakub Mensik in two tie breaks.
Recently, he reached the Shanghai semi-final, becoming the oldest semi-finalist in series' history. It was a grueling campaign that took everything out of veteran's body.
He passed four rivals en route to the last four, battling physical setbacks before falling to Valentin Vacherot in straight sets. Djokovic will try to recover for Athens and Turin.
Two years ago, the Serb lifted his seventh trophy in Paris after ousting Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-3 in an hour and 38 minutes. Novak spent almost nine hours on the court before the final.
However, he preserved his A-game for the title clash and collected the milestone 40thtrophy at that level. The Serb offered his rival two break chances and provided two breaks to control the scoreboard.
It was Novak's 17th appearance in Paris, showcasing his everlasting legacy and lifting a trophy at 36 years and five months.
