Novak Djokovic will not compete at this year’s Paris Masters, where he is the defending champion.

Novak Djokovic’s recent defeat to Jannik Sinner in the Shanghai Masters final marked the Serbian’s return to the court following his early exit at this year’s US Open. Despite his status as a 24-time Grand Slam champion, Djokovic does not appear to have a very busy schedule between now and the end of the season.

This year, Djokovic has competed in just nine official ATP tournaments, a considerably smaller number compared to younger stars Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who have participated in 14 tournaments each. This situation has led many to wonder about the Serb’s future in the sport.

Recently, Djokovic has shared his main goals for the rest of his career, focusing on the four annual Grand Slam tournaments. However, fans who fear that Djokovic may consider retiring from tennis may find some relief in the words of his wife, Jelena Djokovic.

Jelena has been Novak’s biggest supporter since they met more than 20 years ago. Now, 24 Grand Slam titles in, she still believes in his ability to keep competing at the highest level. Speaking to La Nación, Jelena addressed her husband’s shortened schedule so far in 2024, stating that Novak will play “as long as he wants.”

Jelena’s words reflect the confidence that both have that Djokovic still has a lot to offer in the world of tennis. As the end of the season approaches, it will be interesting to see how the career of this iconic player develops and what decisions he will make in the coming months.

“There are a lot of tournaments, now it’s time to choose the right places to play,” he said.

“He will do what he wants for as long as he wants.

“We are very proud of him.

“If I can help him play longer, I will,” he said.

Novak Djokovic won Olympic gold in Paris earlier this year, a title that had eluded the Serbian in his storied career to date.

J. Djokovic knows how hard Djokovic worked to finally come home with gold.

“Olympic gold was a very difficult goal to achieve,” he said.

“It took him a long time to achieve this, but I know for sure that he won’t stop here.”

Despite all her successes in tennis, what J. Djokovic is most proud of is the way her husband conducts himself.

“He is an ordinary man who comes from a simple, hard-working family,” he said.

“Traveling around the world I have seen many people who are inspired by him because they are like him.

“I think Novak’s most beautiful victory is being the people’s champion.”

Will Novak Djokovic play again before 2025?

As things stand, Djokovic is set to qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin later this year.

He currently sits in 𝓈𝓍th place in the Race to Turin, with a lead of more than 500 points over ninth place.

However, following his withdrawal from Paris Bercy, the risk of the Serbian falling out of the top eight increases as players such as Casper Ruud, Andrey Rublev and Alex de Minaur continue to rack up points.

It may not matter whether or not Djokovic qualifies for the season-ending final, where he is a seven-time champion, as when he spoke about his schedule earlier in the season he made it clear that the event is no longer a priority for him.

If Djokovic decides not to participate in the event, that would end his 2024 season, his first without an ATP title in seven years.