Novak Djokovic’s bid to secure a place at the ATP Finals suffered a major setback after he lost to Jan-Lennard Struff in the second round of the Swiss Indoors in Basel on Thursday night.
The defeat leaves the 39-year-old Serbian with limited opportunities to bridge the gap in the race to Turin, with next week’s Paris Masters offering him another chance to collect crucial ranking points.
Making his first appearance in Basel in 15 years, Djokovic went down 6-7 (4-7), 7-5, 7-6 (5-7) against the German veteran. It was his first defeat to Struff in nine meetings.
Djokovic is now 11th in the qualification race, 319 points behind ninth-placed Rafael Jodar, who occupies the final qualifying position with Jannik Sinner ruled out of Turin due to injury.
With Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton already qualified, five main-draw spots remain, with as many as 10 players still in contention.
Daniil Medvedev and Arthur Fils are expected to claim two of those places, leaving three spots for eight players, including Djokovic, Jodar, Flavio Cobolli, Frances Tiafoe, Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul and Jakub Mensik.
Cobolli’s injury during his match against Matteo Berrettini in Vienna could further influence the race. The Italian was visibly emotional and in tears on court, raising doubts about his availability for the remainder of the season.
A record seven-time Paris Masters champion, Djokovic will likely need at least a semi-final finish, alongside early exits for some of his rivals, to strengthen his qualification hopes. He could also consider entering the ATP 250 event in Stockholm if he needs additional points.
Djokovic missed the previous two editions of the ATP Finals through injury but had expressed his desire to return and chase a record-extending eighth title.
Despite another physically demanding season, his Australian Open final appearance, Wimbledon semi-final and Beijing triumph have offered encouraging highlights.
“I’m still here and as competitive as anybody,” Djokovic said in Basel, underlining his determination to keep challenging younger opponents.
“That’s also what motivates me: seeing how I can match up with players 15-plus years younger than me. It’s been quite an interesting process to experience,” he added.