By Trevor Stynes
TURIN, Italy (Reuters) -Seven-times ATP Finals champion Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the season-ending tournament due to a shoulder injury, hours after winning his 101st title at the Hellenic Championship, with beaten finalist Lorenzo Musetti taking his place in Turin.
Djokovic took almost three hours to beat the Italian 4-6 6-3 7-5, and will not be in Turin where the ATP Finals begin on Sunday.
“I was really looking forward to competing in Turin and giving my best,” Djokovic posted on social media.
“But after today’s final in Athens, I’m sad to share that I need to withdraw due to an ongoing injury.”
Djokovic also missed last year’s season-ender with injury, having won his seventh title in 2023.
Musetti, who needed to beat Djokovic to overtake Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime to qualify for the tournament, will replace Djokovic in the Jimmy Connors Group, with Alexander Bublik now the first alternate.
This marks the first time that two Italian singles players have qualified for the same edition of the ATP Finals, and is Musetti’s first appearance.
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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