Djokovic confirms his presence in Shanghai: How will his final stretch of the season be?

Carlos Navarro | 23 Sep 2025 | 14.34

What will be Novak Djokovic's year-end be like?

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At 38 years old, Novak Djokovic has little or nothing to prove to the tennis world. He could retire right now and be widely regarded as the greatest in history. However, he still seeks new records and fuels the competitive beast within him. With no Grand Slams in sight, the past few years have seen Djokovic's role in the final stretch of the season minimized: Could this situation change in 2025?

Unlike last season, Novak Djokovic is already in Greece training daily to arrive in optimal condition for his upcoming commitments. Djokovic has confessed on several occasions that the Masters 1000 and smaller tournaments don't provide the same adrenaline rush as the Slams, but in months devoid of the latter, it seems that Djokovic has focused on several events that can be special for various reasons, creating a big question mark.

This morning, Djokovic confirmed his presence at the Masters 1000 in Shanghai 2025, where he defends last year's final and will return after several seasons of absence. With minimal preparation, Djokovic faced Jannik Sinner in the final twelve months ago, a good omen for what he might achieve on a tour where he receives immense love from the Chinese audience and where the conditions seem to suit his game perfectly.

Next is his participation in the Six Kings Slam, an exhibition tournament where it seems unlikely to see a physically exerted Djokovic, but one where he will give his all to entertain and please the Saudi audience. The lucrative sum of money has enticed all the elite players on the ATP circuit, and Djokovic is no exception: it seems like a good trade-off. So far, all is well, no changes from last year... but the intensity of his preparations in recent weeks, the emergence of a special commitment at the end of the year, and the desire to reduce the distance from Sinner and Alcaraz create new uncertainties that only time will resolve.

ATHENS... AND THE ATP FINALS?

The big question undoubtedly is whether Djokovic will participate in this season's ATP Finals. In the Masters tournament, Djokovic is the King: he surpassed Roger Federer in 2023, cementing his status as the best in history in this tournament (7 crowns, a total record) with nearly flawless performances, including dominant displays against Alcaraz in the semifinals and Sinner in the final. Excluding the Olympics, it is indeed the last tournament where Djokovic displayed his dominating form, with perfect service precision and aggressive tennis perfectly suited to the speed of the Palla AlpiTour court.

After that great triumph and adding another accolade to his resume, Djokovic decided to skip the event last year. It was a logical and consistent decision, even hinting at the possibility of Djokovic permanently withdrawing from an event where he has already checked all the boxes... but the game has shifted once again in 2025. The ATP Athens 2025 emerges, which Djokovic has confirmed he will attend, a week before the Turin tournament: it's an event organized by his family and in a country that has welcomed him amid the challenging situation with the Serbian government due to his support for student protests. Djokovic wants to show his appreciation to the Greek fans, bask in their adoration, in a relaxed atmosphere, and at a perfect event to potentially secure another crown that brings him closer to Jimmy Connors' total titles record.

Will these reasons be sufficient to give Djokovic another chance at the ATP Finals? The stage is set for Djokovic to display a more aggressive and less physical game, with more tools to withstand a shootout against Jannik and Carlos; a victory against them could provide the morale boost Djokovic needs heading into the Slams in 2026 (especially Australia), with both potentially fatigued from the year's exertions and already looking ahead to the Davis Cup the following week. These reasons lead one to think that Djokovic, who is currently preparing meticulously in Greece, could return to a somewhat busy calendar in this end of the year... but the decision, as of today, rests solely with Novak Djokovic. What do you think he will do?

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Djokovic confirma su presencia en Shanghái: ¿cómo será su tramo final de temporada?