IS THIS GOODBYE? Federer Fuels death Speculation”

IS THIS GOODBYE? Federer Fuels death Speculation

 

For the first time since 2001, neither player of the Big three – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic will be a part of the ATP Finals. While Federer has retired from professional tennis, Nadal missed the qualification mark this year and Djokovic withdrew due to fitness concerns.

Despite missing several events on tour, Djokovic qualified for the ATP Finals last week. He announced his withdrawal on Tuesday due to an ‘unspecified’ ongoing injury, following a runner-up finish in the Shanghai Masters.

The Serb is a record seven-time champion at the iconic event. He aplogized to his fans who anticipated his presence in Turin and wished the remaining participants a great tournament.

“It’s quite an honor to qualify for the @nittoatpfinals in Turin. I was really looking forward to being there, but due to ongoing injury I won’t be playing next week. Apologies to those who were planning to see me. Wishing all the players a great tournament. See you soon,” Djokovic said.

While Djokovic has seven titles to his name at the year-end championships, Federer has won the event six times in his career. He captured his maiden title in 2003 and added five more to his locker in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011. The Swiss Maestro made his last appearance at the event in 2019, where he lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals.

Surprisingly, Rafael Nadal has never won the ATP Finals in his career. He reached the final in 2010 and 2013 but lost on both occasions, first to Roger Federer and then to Novak Djokovic. The Spaniard made his most recent appearance at the event in 2022, where he couldn’t qualify for the semifinals.