Novak Djokovic rarely leaves the court in the middle of a match. However, that is precisely what took place in Riyadh on the 18th of October. The 24-time Grand Slam legend battled through a grueling first set of 76 minutes of rallies, grit, and grimacing before losing it 7-6(4) in the Six Kings Slam third-place matchup against Taylor Fritz. Then unexpectedly Djokovic walked to the net, shook Fritz’s hand, and retired from the match. As he puts it, “I want to apologise to everybody, sorry guys….Now it’s rest and really addressing some of the issues I have with my body.”

The signs were there, in fact. In Shanghai, he had been struggling with illness and persistent hip, back, and leg pain before losing to Valentin Vacherot. At that time, when he was asked about his health, he responded: “No. Next question, please.” But fans didn’t take that too seriously as they knew they might soon see him in the Paris Masters on 27th October. However,  that dream ended when insider @Olly_Tennis_ confirmed on X, “Novak Djokovic will not play the Paris Masters this year.”

Later, Novak Djokovic also confirmed the news himself on X, writing, “Dear Paris, unfortunately I’ll not compete at this year’s @RolexPMasters. I have amazing memories and great success over the years, especially being able to conquer the title 7 times. Hope to see you next year. Merci.” Frustrating, yes, but hardly a surprise. Because he’d recently hinted he might scale back to protect his body. So what’s next?

For now, it’s Athens. “After Shanghai, the only tournament I know I’m going to play is the one in Athens, and then let’s see if I play Turin or not,” he said. The inaugural ATP 250 in Athens starts on November 2. At 38, with a 35-11 record this year and one title from Geneva, Djokovic holds the ATP World No. 5 spot but sits third in the Race to Turin standings.

Should he compete in the season-ending hard-court tournament, he’d be the underdog against young guns Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. And as for the Paris Masters? It almost feels cursed for Novak Djokovic, given his history of withdrawals there.

Novak Djokovic’s battle with age and injuries

Remember back in 2024 when Novak Djokovic shocked the tennis world by sitting out the Paris Masters? He took to Instagram to say, “Unfortunately I won’t be playing @rolexparismasters this year. Sorry to everyone who was hoping to see me play there. Wishing all the players, sponsors, organisers and fans a great tournament.” For a player who’s lifted the Paris trophy seven times and made 17 appearances, including a victory at 36 years and five months, that absence left a big hole in the tournament’s story. But at that time, he did not disclose any details regarding his withdrawal.

However, Paris Masters tournament director Cedric Pioline suggested that Djokovic’s decision could be related to managing his workload, considering his age and the physical demands of the tour. “But he is 37 years old if I am not mistaken. He has had a complicated year physically since he had a meniscus operation just before Wimbledon. He won the Olympic Games, it is his only title but that was the objective, so objective achieved. I think he has reached a stage in his career where he manages his schedule as his body asks him to manage it.” He wasn’t wrong.

Just before Wimbledon, Djokovic underwent that meniscus surgery, and it likely influenced his 2024 calendar. Fast forward to this season, and the mystery continues. He skipped Paris again without a full explanation, even though his health has been a visible story all year. Back in March 2025, Djokovic had to withdraw from the Australian Open due to a hamstring injury, and openly admitted it was tough for him to keep up with the likes of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in 5-set matches. But ever since, the toll of age and travel has shown up in legs, back, hip… You name it.

As Novak himself admitted, “It’s just age, the wear and tear of the body. As much as I’m taking care of it, the reality hits me right now, last year and a half, like never before, to be honest.” Even the man who’s outlasted everyone knows time doesn’t quit, it just waits for you to miss the shot.