“No”: reassured after Vacherot, Djokovic plays down Turin and swears it’s match by match
Three weeks after calling Turin his goal, Novak Djokovic answered “No” when asked whether the ATP Finals were his main drive in Paris. Reassured by his 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-1 win over Valentin Vacherot and no longer physically hampered, he now faces Rinky Hijikata, with de Minaur and Zverev in his path.
Novak Djokovic, Rolex Paris Masters 2026 | © Chryslène Caillaud / PsNewz
The story of Novak Djokovic’s return to the Rolex Paris Masters after two years away is not the one you might have imagined. It is not, at least officially and for now, about qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals.
Asked by Tennis Majors after his first-round win over Valentin Vacherot whether Turin was his main drive this week, Djokovic answered with one word: “No.” So what is? “To win every match.” The answer may sound almost too simple from a champion of his stature.
Djokovic himself had been clear enough in Shanghai last month, after his Beijing title: “I will definitely do everything I can to qualify for Turin. I would love to be there,” he said then. “Even before winning in Beijing, that was my goal.” He then took a wildcard into Basel to chase points. Since his defeat there to Jan-Lennard Struff, 6-7 (4), 7-5, 7-6 (5), match by match has become the mantra.
Turin, however, is still there. Djokovic is on 2,940 points in the Race and needs at least the semi-finals in Paris to stay in contention. Only the title would guarantee his place.
The Serbian came out of his 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-1 comeback against the Basel champion reassured about his level. “Obviously I know I can always play better, but it’s really hard to be on the court with someone who is on a roll, is confident, is serving like this,” he said. “So it was a very good win for me.”
For a few matches now, Djokovic has no longer looked physically diminished. On Monday, he told Tennis Majors that he had struggled physically for four months, and that he and his team were “really getting closer to solving” the problem.
Djokovic expects to beat Hijikata
Next up on Wednesday is Australian qualifier Rinky Hijikata, and the mindset will not change. “Well, I expect myself to win. I always do,” Djokovic said. “And that’s kind of the mindset.”
He described Hijikata as a player who loves quick surfaces, stays low, likes to slice and come in, and is “really crafty at the net”. “I hope I’ll be able to physically feel good,” he said. “Then I think I have good chances to win that match.”
Djokovic’s road to the semi-finals in Paris
The draw has not done him any favours. If he gets past Hijikata, Djokovic would meet eighth seed Alex de Minaur, one of his rivals in the Race, or Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the third round on Thursday.
In the quarter-finals on Friday, his projected opponent is top seed and new World No. 1 Alexander Zverev, who opens against Lorenzo Musetti. Luca Van Assche and 15th seed Learner Tien play for the other place in that section.
A semi-final on Saturday, the minimum he needs to stay in the Race, would bring a player from the second quarter, led by third seed Ben Shelton, seventh seed Frances Tiafoe and 12th seed Tommy Paul. Reaching that stage would take Djokovic to 3,290 points.
