Novak Djokovic tipped for ATP Finals twist as Rafael Jodar and Alex De Minaur sent late warning
Greg Rusedski would not be surprised to see Novak Djokovic sneak into the ATP Finals despite currently sitting outside the qualification spots.
After his remarkable China Open triumph, Djokovic was well set to qualify for the season-ending event in Turin but things have changed quickly since then.
The 39-year-old’s early exit at the Shanghai Masters opened the door for the likes of Alex De Minaur and Rafael Jodar to overtake him in the Race.
After Alejandro Davidovich Fokina’s stunning victory at the Masters 1000 event, where he beat Jodar in three sets in the final, Djokovic is currently 11th in the Race on 2,840 points.
Jodar is ninth on 3,159, and De Minaur is just behind him on 2,880. But with world No 1 Jannik Sinner out for the rest of the season, that ninth position will be enough to qualify for the ATP Finals.
More ATP Tour News
How Rafael Jodar’s Shanghai Masters run has affected the ATP Finals qualification battle
Forgotten ATP star opens up on ‘depression and burnout’ after rankings collapse
Want more from Tennis365? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for tennis coverage you can trust.
Even though the Serbian is a few hundred points adrift of the 20-year-old Spaniard, former world No 4 Rusedski has stressed that you should never write off the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
After the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia was postponed until December, Djokovic has taken a late wildcard for the ATP 500 event in Basel later this month, suggesting he is intent on competing in Turin in November.
And as a seven-time champion at the Paris Masters, Rusedski likes Djokovic’s chances heading into the final stretch of the season.
He said on Off Court with Greg Rusedski, “Well, don’t ever discount Novak Djokovic. Sinner’s out right now; all of a sudden you’ll be talking, ‘Oh, Djokovic’s just won Basel, Jodar is there, what’s going on!’.
“Jodar has put himself in pole position with his run in Shanghai, but Djokovic is only 200 points away. Historically, in Paris he has played great and has won the title there as well, so don’t discount Novak.
“This exhibition [Six Kings Slam] being postponed until the end of December is not a bad thing for Novak, because he was not supposed to play until Paris because of the Saudi exhibition. This has added a little more intrigue to the ATP Tour right now…Don’t discount Novak, when he says I want to do something, he usually does it.”
This week, a number of Djokovic’s nearest rivals in the Race are in action, with fifth-placed Flavio Cobolli (3,540 points) and 12th-positioned Tommy Paul (2,585 points) competing at the ATP 250 in Lyon.
Moreover, eighth-placed Arthur Fils (3,325 points) and sixth-positioned Daniil Medvedev are aiming to conquer all in Brussels and Almaty, respectively. At this rate, the Race could go right down to the wire.
WHAT NEXT? Novak Djokovic receives major ATP Finals qualification boost without even playing
