Follow us on Google Discover Novak Djokovic won’t be competing at the Paris Masters next week.
After losing to Valentin Vacherot in the Shanghai semifinals, Djokovic withdrew from the Paris Masters.
The record seven-time champion also skipped the event in 2024, choosing not to defend the title he won a year earlier.
Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images
Djokovic will be 39 years old when the next edition of the Paris Masters comes around, leaving many to question if he will ever return to the event.
Answering that question, Paris Masters tournament director Cedric Pioline suggested whether he thinks Djokovic will be back in 2026.
Paris Masters tournament director ‘hopes’ Novak Djokovic will return in 2026
During a pre-tournament press conference, Pioline was asked if he is ‘afraid’ that Djokovic won’t return to the Paris Masters.
“I hope we’ll see Djokovic again,” he said.
“He’s a huge champion. He holds records in terms of titles in the Masters 1000s.”
RankNameMasters 1000 titlesYears won1Novak Djokovic402007-20232Rafael Nadal362005-20213Roger Federer282002-20194Andre Agassi171990-20045Andy Murray142008-2016Most successful players at the Masters 1000 tournaments
Pioline was hopeful, but not convinced that he’d see a 39-year-old Djokovic compete in Paris again.
“As time flies, he’s 38 years old. He’s old for this profession. He says it himself. His body is 15 years older basically,” he said.
“To manage to be as competitive as he is… I think he only played 10 tournaments [in 2025].
Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images
“He was actually a runner-up in most of the tournaments.
“We could see that it was difficult. Especially this year in Shanghai, it was very humid.”
Tournament numberTournamentSurfacePerformance1Brisbane InternationalHardLost in QF to Reilly Opelka2Australian OpenHardLost in SF to Alexander Zverev3Qatar OpenHardLost in 1R to Matteo Berrettini4Indian WellsHardLost in 2R to Botic van de Zandschulp5Miami OpenHardLost in F to Jakub Mensik6Monte-Carlo MastersClayLost in 2R to Alejandro Tabilo7Madrid OpenClayLost in 2R to Matteo Arnaldi8Geneva OpenClayChampion – Beat Hubert Hurkacz in F9French OpenClayLost in SF to Jannik Sinner10WimbledonGrassLost in SF to Jannik Sinner11US OpenHardLost in SF to Carlos Alcaraz12Shanghai MastersHardLost in SF to Valentin VacherotNovak Djokovic’s 2025 ATP season
Pioline believes Djokovic is currently playing at a lower level than his biggest rivals, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
“I hope we’ll have the opportunity to see him again. I hope that he will see the tournament in the new venue. But for any tennis player, there’s a beginning and an end,” he said.
“His end, he’s drawing closer to the end of his career. I don’t know if he’s planned it or not. It’s becoming more difficult for him.
“Of course, he’s competing for the biggest titles, but maybe physically, he is lacking somehow.
“For Shanghai, it was [Valentin] Vacherot who won. There’s also [Carlos] Alcaraz and [Jannik] Sinner.
“Maybe his level of play is a little bit lower than those players.”
Djokovic will be a big miss in Paris, but there is still plenty to look forward to at the final Masters 1000 event of the season.
Top three matches to watch in round one of the Paris MastersValentin Vacherot vs Jiri Lehecka
The man of the moment, Valentin Vacherot, proved he wasn’t a one-hit wonder with an impressive showing against Taylor Fritz in Basel.
He’ll no doubt be eager to produce another stellar performance when he takes on European Open runner-up Jiri Lehecka in Paris.
Denis Shapovalov vs Joao Fonseca
Canada’s Denis Shapovalov retired from his Basel quarterfinal against Joao Fonseca on Friday to a chorus of boos.
Photo by FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images
The 26-year-old complained about the time Fonseca was taking between points during the match, expressing his frustrations to the umpire.
It will be interesting to see how the pair get on when they play each other just a week later at the Paris Masters.
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard vs Grigor Dimitrov
The Bulgarian fan favorite is set to make his long-awaited return to tennis in Paris, having last been seen at Wimbledon.
Looking to mark his return with a win, Dimitrov will take on the big-serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in what promises to be an intriguing contest.
There are several other exciting matchups in round one, including Alexei Popyrin vs Alexander Bublik and Daniil Medvedev vs Jaume Munar.
Even without Djokovic in attendance, you certainly won’t want to miss any of the action when the Paris Masters begins on Monday, October 27.