The Paris Masters tournament director opens up about the possible reason for Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal from the competition

Djokovic recently announced that he will not participate in the upcoming Paris Masters. The decision of the former world number one not to participate in the competition was surprising, considering that she was the reigning champion. However, tournament director Cedric Pioline was recently quoted in a report, where he highlighted that the possible reason for Djokovic’s decision to withdraw from the competition was to “manage” his workload.

“He’s the reigning champion,” he said. “But he is 37 years old if I’m not mistaken. He’s had a tough year physically since he had meniscus surgery just before Wimbledon. He won the Olympics, it’s his only title but that was the goal, so goal achieved. I think he’s reached a stage in his career where he manages his schedule the way his body tells him to manage it.”

Djokovic has had a mixed year on the tennis court. It is the first time in seven years that the former world number one has failed to win a single Grand Slam. His best start in a major competition this year was at Wimbledon, where he lost to Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in the final in straight sets by a score of 6-2, 6-2, 7-6. But despite this, Djokovic will remember 2024 for all the right reasons as he finally managed to complete his trophy cabinet. The Belgrade-born won the Olympic gold medal for his country in Paris. He defeated Spain’s Alcaraz in the singles final in straight sets with a score of 7-6, 7-6.