The final stretch of the ATP season always see some cancellations from the various ATP events and we just had two high-profile withdrawals confirmed this week. Novak Djokovic has pulled out of the upcoming Paris Masters, while Stefanos Tsitsipas was forced to retire from the Vienna Open just hours before his scheduled opening match, again due to his on-going back issues.
Djokovic out of Paris, will he play the ATP Finals?
Novak Djokovic, a record seven-time champion at the Rolex Paris Masters, announced his withdrawal from the ATP 1000 event on Tuesday. Novak had earlier on decide only to play some of the tour events (Athens confirmed) this year as he finds it difficult to keep up with the busy ATP schedule.
Dear Paris, unfortunately I’ll not compete at this year’s @RolexPMasters. I have amazing memories and great success over the years, especially being able to conquer the title 7 times. Hope to see you next year. Merci ?? pic.twitter.com/y4iEmMYUAn
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) October 21, 2025
The 38-year-old Serbian has had a relatively light schedule this season, competing in only a handful of tour events outside of the four Grand Slams. His fitness had already been a concern following a visible struggle with a sore hip and illness during his recent semifinal run at the Shanghai Masters.
“…the only tournament I know I’m going to play is the one in Athens. And then let’s see if I play Turin or not, I’m not sure yet,” Djokovic said.
The new event in Athens will be a decent tournament though with other names including Joao Fonseca, Karen Khachanov, Jiri Lehecka and Jakub Mensik.
While Djokovic expressed his regret on social media, he did not specify the exact nature of his current injury. His participation in the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin, scheduled for November 9-16, now remains in question as he focuses on recovery.
Difficult season for Tsitsipas, back problems keeping him out
Meanwhile, the campaign of former World No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas suffered another setback after he withdrew from the Erste Bank Open in Vienna on Tuesday, just before his first-round match against Lorenzo Musetti. He was replaced in the draw by lucky loser Hamad Medjedovic, who ended up defeated by the world no 8 Italian.
The tournament confirmed the Greek star’s pull-out was due to a back injury, adding to a frustrating run of physical issues for the 27-year-old. Tsitsipas had also recently withdrawn from the Shanghai Masters.
The back issue is a fresh concern following his recent appearance at the Six Kings Slam exhibition, where he reportedly acknowledged that his physical condition has been holding him back. His continuous battle with injuries this season has seen his ranking drop, making a late-season surge difficult.
