The final ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the 2024 season is currently underway in Paris! Two in-form young guns, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, have already tightened up their seatbelts for yet another scintillating show.

But what about Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic? Well, Paris has been a happy hunting ground for Nadal, but his most remarkable performances have come on the clay courts. Whereas the 37-year-old, who is the defending champion, holds the record for most Masters titles (40) in Paris. But both these high-profile players have chosen to not participate in the tournament. Reason?

Novak Djokovic is the most high-profile player to withdraw from the 2024 Paris Masters. He has won this tournament seven times in his career and this is the first time he’ll miss this event since 2020. In a social media post dated October 23, Novak Djokovic said, “Unfortunately, I won’t be playing the Paris Masters this year.

I have a lot of great memories, winning seven titles and I hope to be back with you next year. Sorry to everyone who was hoping to see me there,” without specifying a reason for his absence. Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz will lead the field at this year’s tournament in Djokovic’s absence.

Djokovic is still in the race to qualify for the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin next month. He’s currently placed at the sixth spot in the Live ATP Race rankings. As things stand, Djokovic could also opt to call it quits for 2024 and look forward to winning his 25th Grand Slam title in at the AO next year. For the first time since 2017, the Serb will end the season without a Grand Slam title. However, he did have some fond memories of Paris at the Olympics this year! Is it really the end of Djokovic’s season?According to John McEnroe, “I can see him (Novak) going either way. He has an unreal record in that event [ATP Finals]. My gut is he does not play rest of year.”

On the other hand, Recently, Cedric Pioline, director of the Paris Masters, contacted Rafa to offer a wildcard, but he revealed that Nadal is currently focusing on his farewell at the Davis Cup. This will be his third absence from a major tournament this year, following the French Open and the Olympics. Well, Rafael Nadal has already announced his retirement and stated that the Davis Cup in November will be the last tournament in his illustrious career. According to Cedric Pioline,

“I asked if there was any interest, but the answer was very clear: he has decided to play the Davis Cup Final 8 in Malaga as his last event and he will not play an official tournament until then.” Nadal has played in this tournament nine times in his career, but has managed to progress beyond the quarter-finals just once! Moreover, he missed the Paris Masters for 11 out of 20 times, and in his nine appearances.

via Reuters

Talking about events, if we take a look at the upcoming events, Novak Djokovic has already given a hint about his next goal. Is he hungry to bring home his 25th major title? “I still want to make more history and enjoy myself on the tour. I still hope to inspire many young people to watch tennis, play tennis. Those are some of the reasons why I still keep on going,” said Djokovic. So, Djokovic is not stopping any sooner, but what’s his next mission?

“Grand Slams are the pillars of our sport. They are ‘the’ most important historical tennis events that we have. So if you don’t get pumped and inspired to play your best tennis at Grand Slams, it’s hard to do that anywhere else,” he added. Perhaps this is the answer to all our queries on Djokovic’s upcoming goals! What about Rafael Nadal? What is the 38-year-old Spanish star expecting from his farewell tournament in Malaga?

“I don’t believe in fairy tale endings” – Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal’s 23-year-long career was not just about tennis! It showed us how resilience can overcome all the hurdles in our lives. It inspired several youngsters to take up this racquet sport seriously and build a career in tennis. The moment he steps onto the court in Malaga to take part in the Davis Cup, he’ll perhaps be getting a flashback of each of his memories right from becoming a pro player in 2001 to hanging up his racquet at this iconic team event. What a moment it’d be for him and his family! Reflecting on his expectations from the Davis Cup during an interview with AS, Rafael Nadal said,

“For a while now, I haven’t expected much from my final matches because you start to understand how difficult everything becomes. I don’t believe in fairy tale endings. Almost no one gets them, because in sports, it’s hard to finish on top unless you’re completely healthy and can win but just don’t enjoy it anymore.” With Roger Federer already hanging up his racquet in 2022, Nadal also announcing his departure at the end of this season, can Novak Djokovic carry forward the legacy of the ‘Big Three’ for a few more seasons? According to Rafa,

“As for Djokovic, I’m not sure. It’s human nature that, even if Novak stays healthy, he’s getting older, and at some point, the clock catches up with everyone. At some point, I think Novak will also experience a dip in motivation and step aside. It happens to everyone. Novak is good enough that if he stays healthy, he can still compete at the highest level and aim for the biggest titles. If he keeps enjoying it, he’ll keep going.” Do you think Novak Djokovic will make a strong comeback by winning a major title in the 2025 season?