Novak Djokovic has admitted that his early exit from the Basel Open "hurts," marking a significant setback in his bid to qualify for the season-ending ATP Finals. The 39-year-old veteran fell to Jan-Lennard Struff in a tightly contested match that lasted two hours and 36 minutes, with the German securing a 6-7 (4), 7-5, 7-6 (5) victory to reach the quarter-finals of the Swiss Indoors.
Struff achieved one of the biggest wins of his career by overcoming Djokovic, against whom he had previously lost all eight encounters. The German attributed his success to an aggressive style of play that proved decisive on Thursday. Struff noted in his post-match interview that he knew he had to go for it, stating he was very happy with his performance after the last serve landed in the corner like many other balls throughout the match.
For Djokovic, the defeat has dealt a heavy blow to his qualification hopes. He currently sits 319 points behind Rafael Jodar in the Race standings. The 20-year-old Spaniard occupies the ninth and final available spot for the event in Turin, a position that opened up following Jannik Sinner's season-ending knee injury, while Djokovic has dropped to 11th place.
Despite hitting three double faults in a single game at the end of the second set, Djokovic did not view those errors as the deciding factor. Speaking to Sportal, he credited Struff for playing incredible shots during critical moments, particularly when break points were on the line in the second and third sets. The 24-time major winner remarked that he does not remember facing an opponent who was as aggressive and precise as Struff, who consistently went for two first serves.
With the Paris Masters set to begin next week, Djokovic indicated that this tournament will likely be his final opportunity to secure a spot in Turin. Shortly after his defeat in Basel, the Serbian turned his attention toward the French capital, acknowledging his current disappointment but expressing hope to perform better in Paris over the coming days.
Sources: Tennis365.