Djokovic withdraws from ATP Finals after record-setting Athens win

Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the ATP Finals for the second year in a row, shortly after beating Lorenzo Musetti in a near three-hour final to win the Hellenic Championship on Saturday.

Djokovic said a shoulder injury would prevent him from playing in the season-ending event for the top eight men’s players that starts on Sunday in Turin, Italy.

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“I was really looking forward to competing in Turin and giving my best,” Djokovic posted on social media.

“But after today’s final in Athens, I’m sad to share that I need to withdraw due to an ongoing injury.”

The decision means that Musetti will take his place, even though his loss to Djokovic initially handed the final qualifying spot to Felix Auger-Aliassime.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion said he had been dealing with the injury throughout the tournament in Athens. Djokovic, who has won the ATP Finals seven times, also missed the tournament last year because of an injury.

“That’s the reason why I decided not to make a call: would I go to Turin or not earlier, because I wanted to see how the matches go, how I react,” he told reporters.

“After yesterday’s [Friday] match, I was hoping that it was not going to flare up. But then today, even before the match, it was not great. I had to take all the strong medications to be able to play the match.

“I felt there’s no chance for me to go through the entire tournament in Turin with the required level of tennis when you’re playing the best eight in the world.”

Djokovic passes Federer on key milestone

On Saturday, the Serb rallied for a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Musetti to clinch his 101st career title.

“An incredible battle,” Djokovic said after the match. “Three hours of a grueling match, physically… I’m just very proud of myself to get through this one.”

The last set featured five breaks before Djokovic clinched the victory with a service winner. Musetti has now lost his last six tour-level finals.

Djokovic is one of just three men to have racked up a century of titles. He still needs two to equal Roger Federer’s 103, while Jimmy Connors heads the list with 109.

The 38-year-old’s victory against Musetti set a men’s record with his 72nd title on hard courts, one more than Federer.

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