Carlos Alcaraz declares Novak Djokovic delaying his ATP Finals participation decision "a bad situation for everyone," but also adds that he "accepts" the Serb's teasing game because of everything he has done for the game.
Tomorrow, the season-ending tournament is slated to start and Djokovic is scheduled to meet Taylor Fritz. But nobody still knows whether the Serb will actually compete in Turin. Today, the record 24-time Grand Slam champion is clashing against Lorenzo Musetti in the Athens final. Only after the final finishes, the 38-year-old will announce whether he will go to Turin.
In Turin, Djokovic shares the same group with Alcaraz, Fritz and Alex de Minaur. The Serb's waiting game currently has the biggest impact on Fritz - his opening rival. When asked about it in his pre-tournament presser, the fourth-ranked American admitted that the circumstances weren't ideal for him but noted that the Serb "earned" to do whatever he wanted.
Alcaraz: The Djokovic case is a bad situation for everyone... But I accept it
"Well, no, I mean it's obviously it is a bad situation for everyone, but, as Taylor said, he has the right to do it. He has played this tournament for many years. He has won this tournament many years. Obviously, for the promoter for everything is not the right situation, but, it is his decision and we had to go with it and accept it," six-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz said.
In 2023, Djokovic won a record seventh ATP Finals title after beating Jannik Sinner in the final. Last year, the Serbian tennis giant skipped the season-ending tournament. Over the course of the 2025 season, the former world No. 1 stated several times at this stage of his career, he was solely focused on Grand Slams.
It will be interesting to see whether the Serb decides to participate in this year's ATP Finals.
