Djordje Djokovic, Novak's brother and the former player, had only a couple of months to organize the Belgrade Open in the week ahead of the ATP Finals. Djordje contacted many players, including those who were fighting for a spot in Turin, aware of the fact that many would withdraw ahead of the event. Djokovic admitted he also asked Rafael Nadal to come to Belgrade and play, an offer the Spaniard's management had to reject. In the meanwhile, Lorenzo Musetti, Frances Tiafoe, Alejandro Tabilo, Tomas Machac, Sebastian Baez, Flavio Cobolli and Tallon Griekspoor all withdrew from Belgrade, ending the regular season after the Paris Masters.
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Why Rafael Nadal did not come to Belgrade?
What Djordje Djokovic and the rest of the tennis world did not know, Rafa had already decided to retire at the end of the season, with the Davis Cup Finals as his last event in a career. Nadal gave everything to recover from a severe hip injury and the most extended break of his career. He skipped almost an entire 2023 season and made a comeback in Brisbane in the first week of 2024. The veteran defeated two rivals before blowing three match points against Jordan Thompson, feeling the pain around his hip and missing the Australian Open. Rafa injured his abdominal muscle in February and extended his break until April, returning to action in Barcelona.
The king of clay fell to Alex de Minaur and bounced back in Madrid, scoring three wins before losing to Jiri Lehecka, missing a chance to enter the quarter-final. Rafa experienced a heavy loss to Hubert Hurkacz in Rome and drew Alexander Zverev in the first round of Roland Garros. The 14-time winner challenged world no. 4 for over three hours in a 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 defeat, missing his chances in the second set and suffering his earliest defeat on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Nadal skipped the grass season, focusing on the Olympic Games.
The Spaniard returned to Bastad for the first time since 2005 and stopped the clock. Rafa ousted four rivals, passing a couple of tough challenges and reaching his first ATP final in over two years. He lost to Nuno Borges, missing a chance to lift a trophy for the last time. Nadal faced Novak Djokovic in the second round of the Paris Olympics and fell 6-1, 6-4, making a comeback in the second set but ending on the losing side. The veteran skipped the US Open and the Laver Cup and announced his retirement in October, citing the Davis Cup Finals as his final event.
