Novak Djokovic's hopes of securing a spot at the end-of-year ATP Finals took a hit after a surprise second-round loss to Jan-Lennard Struff at the Swiss Indoors in Basel.
The 39-year-old Serb, playing in Basel for the first time in 15 years, fell 6-7 (4-7) 7-5 7-6 (5-7) to the German veteran, ending a run of eight straight wins over Struff. The defeat leaves Djokovic 11th in the qualification race, 319 points behind ninth-placed Rafael Jodar, who currently holds the final qualifying spot.
With only five main-draw spots remaining and up to 10 players still in contention, Djokovic must rely on next week's Paris Masters. Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, and Ben Shelton have already qualified, while Daniil Medvedev and Arthur Fils are expected to claim two more spots.
The race is tight, with five players separated by fewer than 500 points. Djokovic, a record seven-time Paris champion, will likely need at least a semi-final run and favorable results from those around him. He may also consider playing in Stockholm to gain more points. Despite the challenges, few are willing to count out the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing