Djokovic's Surprise Defeat in Basel Hampers ATP Finals Chances

Novak Djokovic’s bid to secure a 19th appearance at the ATP Finals took a hit after an unexpected defeat to Jan-Lennard Struff at the Swiss Indoors in Basel. This marks Djokovic’s first time playing in Basel since 2011.

The 39-year-old, ranked world number 3, lost a tight match 6-7 (4-7), 7-5, 7-6 (7-5). It was his first loss against Struff in nine meetings, surprising many given Djokovic’s consistent dominance over the years.

"I knew I needed to go for it. There was only one way to play it. So, I was very, very happy," said Struff, currently ranked 27th."I had to bring my best tennis to have a chance. The last eight times he beat me very easily. So, I’m very pleased with this performance."

Only the top eight players qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin next month, and this loss leaves Djokovic 11th in the rankings, making his path to the event uncertain. Despite being the men’s game’s record holder with 24 Grand Slam titles, Djokovic now sits outside the top 10 for the first time since 2018.

He acknowledged feeling a bit rusty after his earlier win over Frenchman Ugo Humbert but admitted the battle to qualify is now tougher.

• Rafael Jodar currently holds the ninth qualifying position.
• Jannik Sinner, the world number one, is injured and will not participate.
• Djokovic trails Jodar by 319 points but has a chance to improve his ranking at the upcoming Paris Masters in November.

Djokovic aims to surpass Roger Federer with his 19th ATP Finals appearance. He has won the tournament seven times but missed the past two editions due to injury. The last time he failed to qualify on merit was in 2017, also because of injury struggles.

Other confirmed participants for the Turin event from November 15 to 22 include Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, and American Ben Shelton. Shelton, however, also faced a shock defeat in Basel, losing to Swiss wildcard Jerome Kym, ranked 222nd globally.

• Shelton lost 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-1) to Kym.

Despite setbacks, Djokovic remains a threat to climb back into the qualifying spots as the season nears its conclusion.