Novak Djokovic after winning the 2023 ATP Finals
Novak Djokovic qualified for this week’s ATP Finals, but his decision to withdraw from the end-of-season tournament has cost him a small fortune in guaranteed money.
The Serbian won a record seventh title at the season-ending event last year by beating Jannik Sinner in the final and is missing the event for only the second time since making his debut in 2007.
Djokovic’s only previous absence came in 2017 after he cut short his season because of an elbow injury and he suggested his absence this year was also due to an injury.
“I was really looking forward to being there, but due to ongoing injury I won’t be playing next week,” said Djokovic as he confirmed his exit. “Apologies to those who were planning to see me. Wishing all the players a great tournament. See you soon!”
He last appeared on court at the lucrative Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia last month, where he lost to Sinner before beating Rafael Nadal and it was clear that he was struggling with a shoulder problem during that event.
Djokovic could have tried to play at the ATP Finals and even if he only played and lost one match before withdrawing from the tournament, he would still have been paid $165,500.
After days of rumours suggesting he would not play again in 2024, Djokovic’s confirmation that he will not play at the ATP Finals came as no surprise, yet his absence will dent his bank balance.
While cash is not a motivating factor for a player who has won a staggering $185,065,269 over the course of his record-breaking career, and that figure does not include sponsorship deals, Djokovic walked away from a windfall likely to be more than $1million at the ATP Finals.
Djokovic would have been handed a bumper $331,000 just for playing three group stage matches at the ATP Finals and he would have collected $396,500 for each win he recorded in the group stages.
While Djokovic would have been tested by the elite field assembled in Turin, he would have expected to win a couple of group stage matches given his recent return to form that included a run to the final of the Shanghai Masters.
Djokovic could have collected another $1,123,400 for a semi-final win and $2,237,200 if he had won the final for an eighth time, with a total in excess of $4million if he had performed up to his usual exceptional standards in Turin.
Djokovic’s decision to play the Six Kings Slam event in Saudi Arabia earlier this month appeared to be fuelled by the big money on offer from the organisers, but the Serbian admitted his drive to win money has not been a motivating factor for some time in his decorated career.
He has spoken out about the game’s leading players claiming to much of the money that swirls around tennis and gave the €200,000 he received from the Serbian government for his Olympic gold medal to charity last summer.
“Believe it or not, I never thought of prize money being one of the sources of my motivation and inspiration to play tennis,” said Djokovic.
“Of course, the money helps me have a certain standard of life and lifestyle, but that’s all. It never was and is never going to be the driving force in my life and in my career.”
