No Room For Error! Novak Djokovic Faces Nightmare Route At Paris Masters

No Room For Error! Novak Djokovic Faces Nightmare Route At Paris Masters (AP)

Novak Djokovic has a phenomenal record at the Paris Masters, having won seven titles and reaching a record nine finals; however, the challenge will be stiffer for the Serb in the upcoming tournament. First of all, Novak Djokovic is not in the best of form. He lost to Jan-Lennard Struff in the Round of 16 at Swiss Indoors and also suffered a first-round exit at the Shanghai Masters, losing to Hubert Hurkacz.

Add to that the pressure of qualifying for the ATP Finals. The early exit at Basel put his hopes in jeopardy, and now Novak needs to qualify at least for the semifinal to have some chance of making it to Turin.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion has also been handed a nightmare draw, which makes his run to the final look even more difficult.

Djokovic will open his campaign against Valentin Vacherot, who's been in red-hot form and will come into the Paris Masters after winning the ATP Basel, where he defeated Jiri Lehecka in the final. Should Novak get through the tremendous challenge, Luciano Darderi or Rinki Hijikata will be up next.

In the Round of 16, Novak Djokovic could be up against Alex De Minaur or Andre Rublev. In the quarterfinal, Novak Djokovic could face Alexander Zverev or Lorenzo Musetti, while the semifinal could be against Ben Shelton or Frances Tiafoe. Novak Djokovic could face Carlos Alcaraz or Daniil Medvedev in the final.

Novak this year has mostly struggled with fitness concerns, and it might well come down to how his body will hold up during the tournament. He has had a decent rest after an early exit at Basel, and if he can navigate the early matches without being drained out, he might have a genuine shot at the title and ATP Finals.

Faham Uddin is a seasoned sports journalist currently working as a Special Correspondent on the sports desk. With over eight years of diverse experien...