Novak Djokovic appears set to qualify for the 2025 ATP Finals, a tournament he and others see as his clearest opportunity to gain the upper hand on Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz and add another major trophy to his collection of big titles. His bid for a first Grand Slam since the 2023 US Open ended in the US Open quarter-final, where he was beaten in straight sets by Alcaraz.

That loss extended a pattern: it is the third consecutive major in which Djokovic’s run has been ended by either Alcaraz or Sinner. He lost to Sinner in the semi-finals at both the French Open and Wimbledon, and earlier in the season he retired with an injury during his semi-final against Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open.

Last year, Sinner denied Djokovic in the Australian Open semi-final while Alcaraz beat him in the Wimbledon final. Djokovic did, however, record wins over Alcaraz this year in the Melbourne quarter-final and in the gold medal match at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Head-to-head records remain close: Djokovic leads Alcaraz 5-3, while Sinner holds a 6-4 advantage over Djokovic and has won their last five meetings.

Age is an acknowledged factor for the 38-year-old. “It will be very difficult for me in the future to overcome the hurdle of Sinner and Alcaraz in the best-of-five in the Grand Slams. I think I have a better chance [in] best of three, but best of five, it’s tough,” Djokovic said.

He added: “I’m, you know, not giving up on Grand Slams in that regard. Having said that, I’m going to continue fighting and trying to, you know, trying to get to the. To the finals and fight for another trophy at least, but, you know, it’s going to be a very, very difficult task.”

Djokovic has climbed two places in the ATP Race to Turin and sits third as Alcaraz and Sinner are already qualified. He currently has 4,180 points and needs roughly 1,000 more to reach the apparent cut-off of 5,395 points. The top five in the race read: 1. Carlos Alcaraz – 9,840 (Q) 2. Jannik Sinner – 7,950 (Q) 3. Novak Djokovic – 4,180 4. Alexander Zverev – 4,130 5. Ben Shelton – 3,710.

Having skipped the ATP Finals last year despite qualifying, Djokovic could reconsider; the season-ending event is best-of-three and runs for one week. He beat Sinner in the 2023 ATP Finals final to claim a record seventh title and also beat Alcaraz in that tournament’s semi-final.

“That’s a sentiment definitely after the Grand Slam season this year that, you know, not to say that I will skip Grand Slams. I mean, I still want to play Grand Slams, Grand Slam season, full Grand Slam season next year,” the tennis legend said.

“Well, let’s see whether that’s going to happen or not. But, you know, because Slams are Slams, you know, they are just different from any other tournament. They are the pillars of our sport, the most important tournaments we have.

“But yeah, I do fancy my chances a bit more in best of three, you know, I guess one-week tournaments or the Masters tournaments where you have almost two weeks with quite a few days between matches. So, you know, that could, that could serve me better in the matchups against them.”

Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are the first two players confirmed for this season’s ATP Finals. Alcaraz secured his place in July and Sinner confirmed his spot in early August. Despite missing three months due to a doping ban, Sinner has amassed enough points to ensure he finishes no lower than seventh in the year-end rankings, mathematically guaranteeing a place at the season-ending championship alongside Alcaraz.

The ATP Finals uses a distinctive qualification and competition format. The top seven ranked players automatically qualify. The eighth spot is reserved for any player who wins a Grand Slam but is ranked between ninth and twentieth; if that does not occur, the eighth-ranked player takes the final place. Once the eight players are decided they are split into two groups of four for round-robin play, with each player contesting three matches. The top two from each group then progress to the semi-finals, which are played in a knockout format.

Since 2021 the tournament has been held in Turin at the Palasport Olimpico and will take place between November 9 and 16. The Finals could play a decisive role in the year-end No. 1 race: Alcaraz sits on 7,550 points to Sinner’s 6,010.

There is a notable gap beyond those two. Alexander Zverev has 3,690 points, Ben Shelton occupies fourth, Novak Djokovic is fifth, with Taylor Fritz and Jack Draper sixth and seventh. Alex de Minaur is in the uncertain eighth spot; that would be sufficient for entry provided no player ranked between ninth and twentieth wins the US Open.

Sinner won his first ATP Finals trophy last season, defeating Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-4 in the final. He had reached the final in 2023 but lost to Novak Djokovic. Djokovic remains the tournament’s most successful player, having won the event seven times, including four consecutive titles between 2012 and 2015.

The women contest their equivalent at the WTA Finals, where the top eight compete in a group stage before a knockout phase. Aryna Sabalenka is currently the only woman qualified.

In the Open Era of men’s tennis, seven players have reached at least 10 ATP Tour finals but maintain a win rate of 25% or lower, illustrating the challenges of converting final appearances into titles.

Xavier Malisse, the Belgian, contested 12 ATP 250-level finals, finishing with a 3-9 record. His final losses spanned tournaments from Mexico City in 1998 to Chennai in 2011. He won titles against Jiri Novak, Stefan Koubek, and James Blake, with his finals success most prominent on hard courts (3-4), while unable to claim titles on clay (0-4) or carpet (0-1). Malisse’s career highlights include a Wimbledon semi-final in 2002 and a career-high ranking of No. 19 that August.

Olivier Rochus, also Belgian, compiled a 2-8 finals record, all at ATP 250 events. His losses included events like Copenhagen and Auckland, while he won titles in Palermo (defeating Diego Nargiso) and Munich (against Kristof Vliegen). Rochus showed strength on clay with a 2-0 record in finals but struggled on grass (0-2) and hard courts (0-6). His best Grand Slam runs reached the round of 16 at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open, peaking at world No. 29.

Byron Black of Zimbabwe won 2 of his 8 ATP finals, including 250-level titles in Seoul and Chennai. His losses included higher-level finals at the Japan Open and Memphis Open among others. His finals surface record was 2-5 on hard courts, 0-2 on grass, and 0-1 on carpet. Black reached a career-high ranking of No. 22 and quarterfinal appearances in two Grand Slams.

Karl Meiler contested 17 finals with a 3-14 record, excluding a walkover final win, capturing titles in Buenos Aires, Omaha, and Calgary. His finals struggles were seen on all surfaces, particularly clay (1-7) and carpet (0-3). He reached the semi-finals of the 1973 Australian Open and peaked at No. 20 in ATP rankings.

Jarkko Nieminen reached 13 ATP 250 finals with a 2-11 record, winning in Auckland and Sydney, but falling short in numerous other events. His finals results were 2-7 on hard courts and 0-4 on clay. Nieminen achieved quarterfinal spots in three Grand Slams and a career-best ranking of No. 13.

Pat DuPré lost his first nine finals, winning only four sets before finally capturing his sole title at the 1982 Hong Kong Classic. His finals record across hard, clay, and carpet surfaces was notably weak. DuPré reached a Wimbledon semi-final in 1979 and a peak ranking of No. 14.

Julien Benneteau uniquely holds the record for most ATP finals without a title, appearing in 10 finals with no victories. His highest-profile loss came at the ATP 500 Rotterdam Open final in 2013 against Juan Martin del Potro.