Novak Djokovic has confirmed that he will not be playing at the Paris Masters this month because he will not be able to gain any ranking points unlike other tournaments.
Following a change to the ranking calculations in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 17-time Grand Slam champion would be not better off points wise if he defended his title in the French capital. Under ATP rules, a player’s best ranking is based on their 18 best tournament results within a 22-month period. However, the same tournament can’t be counted twice.
Instead the focus of the Serbian will be on two other events where he can win more points, including the ATP Finals in London. As of this week he has a 1980-point lead over second placed Rafael Nadal.
“I won’t play in Paris as I can’t add to my points tally but I will go to Vienna and London,” Djokovic told Sportski Zurnal.
“I can win up to 500 points in Vienna as I didn’t play there last year and there are also a lot of points available in London.”
Djokovic is currently on course to finish the year as world No.1 for a record-equalling sixth time in his career. The only other player to have achieved the milestone was Pete Sampras. The only scenario that would prevent him from achieving the record world be if Rafael Nadal wins both Paris and London. Furthermore, Djokovic would have to lose before the semi-finals in Vienna and all of his matches in London.
Besides the year-end honour, Djokovic is on track to break Roger Federer’s all-time record for most weeks as world No.1. To do so he will need to remain in top spot for another 20 weeks to take sole ownership of the record.
“I can break the record for March 8. If that happens, I will dedicate it to my mother and wife,” he commented about potentially achieving the milestone during the same week as Mother’s Day.
“I am not sure yet that I will break the record because it depends on Nadal and how it will go by the end of the year, as well as on the Australian Open, but I am in a very good position.”
Djokovic heads into next week’s Vienna Open with a win-loss record of 37-2. Although his two defeats were at Grand Slam tournaments. At the US Open he got disqualified after accidentally hitting a lines judge with a ball during his fourth round match against Pablo Carreno Busta. Then at the French Open he lost 6-0, 6-2, 7-5, to Nadal in the final.
This year Djokovic has already earned $5,926,959 in prize money, which is over $800,000 more than second placed Dominic Thiem.
