De Minaur secures ATP Finals berth after Djokovic withdraws

The ATP Finals field is set for 2024, with Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev and Alex de Minaur claiming the last three spots in the eight-man draw after Novak Djokovic withdrew from the event on Wednesday (AEDT).

Djokovic had all but qualified for the year-end championship, which takes place from November 10-17 in Turin, but announced that he would be unable to compete due to injury.

“It’s quite an honour to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin,” he wrote on Instagram.

“I was really looking forward to being there, but due to ongoing injury I won’t be playing next week.

“Apologies to those who were planning to see me.

“Wishing all the players a great tournament. See you soon!”

Ruud, Rublev and de Minaur will join Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev and Taylor Fritz, who had already qualified for the ATP Finals.

Rublev has now qualified for the event five years in a row, while Ruud returns to Turin after missing out on qualification last year.

The Norwegian will make his third appearance, having lost to Djokovic in the final in 2022.

De Minaur, however, is making his debut, with the 25-year-old becoming the first Australian to make the event in two decades.

“Turin, LFG!” he wrote on social media in response to his qualification.

“No one more deserving,” added countryman Thanasi Kokkinakis.

Djokovic, meanwhile, is set for a significant slide in the world rankings after the ATP Finals, which he won last year.

The Serbian has already dropped 1,000 points after opting not to defend his Paris Masters title this year, while another 1,300 will fall off following the upcoming event in Italy.

This could mean a fall as low as No.9 in the world for the 24-time Grand Slam champion, depending how things unfold in Turin, leaving Djokovic’s top-eight seeding at the 2025 Australian Open under threat.

Nevertheless, tennis betting sites still have the 37-year-old as a +175 favourite to win the year’s first Grand Slam in Melbourne.

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