Novak Djokovic has pulled out of this year's ATP Finals, confirming that due to "ongoing injury" he won't be able to compete in Turin.

The Serbian star's absence has set the field for the 2024 event, which will feature Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Taylor Fritz. Casper Ruud and Alex de Minaur are expected to join them, with Grigor Dimitrov and Stefanos Tsitsipas as alternates.

Djokovic, 37, won last year's title in Italy by defeating Sinner in the final and is a seven-time champion of the season finale. But he won't get to defend his crown due to fitness concerns.

He had been a doubt to compete after pulling out of the recent Paris Masters and was spotted on holiday in the Maldives, having taken a more relaxed approach to playing high-level tournaments outside of the Majors.

"It's quite an honour to qualify for the @nittoatpfinals in Turin," Djokovic wrote on social media, accompanied by a praying hands emoji. "I was really looking forward to being there, but due to ongoing injury I won't be playing next week.

"Apologies to those who were planning to see me. Wishing all the players a great tournament. See you soon!"

There had been doubts whether Djokovic would have gained enough ranking points in order to finish in the top eight, having played a limited schedule in 2024, with the 24-time Grand Slam champion admitting that his priorities were elsewhere.

“Torino is not my goal at all, to be honest, I am not chasing ATP Finals, I am not chasing the rankings,” said Djokovic after playing for Serbia in the Davis Cup in September.

“As far as I am concerned, I am done with those tournaments for my career. Whether I will play in other tournaments this year or in the future, I can’t say right now. My main priorities are playing for the national team and slams, everything else is less important.”

Djokovic's announcement ends his 2024 season, the first since 2017 when he did not win a Major title. He did, however, claim a maiden Olympic gold to round off his legendary career.

The next time he will return to professional tennis is in preparation for the Australian Open. Djokovic has won in Melbourne on no less than 10 occasions.

He will be hoping to go further than his semi-final berth at the beginning of this year, though, focusing his attention on the slams by pulling out of the ATP Finals to prioritise his fitness.