By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday, September 26, 2022

Things didn’t go as planned for Novak Djokovic on Sunday at Laver Cup, as he was defeated by Felix Auger-Aliassime while impeded by a wrist injury.



“I have been struggling with my right wrist for the last four, five days, to be honest,” Djokovic said. “I have been keeping it under control. The two matches yesterday probably had an effect. Today was not easy. I couldn't serve as fast or as accurately as I would like to. That has affected the whole game.”

The injury will not affect Djokovic’s plans to play a busy schedule this fall, and he’ll be in action this week at Tel Aviv, where he is the top seed at the Tel Aviv Watergen Open, and ATP 250 event.

The Serb, currently ranked seventh and 15th in the ATP’s Race to Turin, says he is eager to play a busy schedule this fall as he sets his sights on playing the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.

Djokovic, a five-time champion at the event, can qualify simply by finishing the year inside the Top-20 in the race, thanks to his Wimbledon title.

The Serb has not won the title at the ATP Finals since 2015, but is eager to make his 15th appearance at the event.

“The goal is to try to make Turin,” Djokovic told reporters in London on Sunday. “I'm in a good position but still I think 15 in the race (15). You've got to be Top-20 as a Grand Slam winner. That's the rule in order to make cut and qualify for Turin.

“I will play Tel Aviv next week and play a 500 in Kazakhstan, and then the schedule was to play Bercy and Turin. So let's see if it stays this way or something changes.

“My thoughts are obviously the next few weeks and then I will take it from there.”

Djokovic is 24-6 on the season with two titles. He made his first appearance on tour since Wimbledon over the weekend at Laver Cup, where he split two singles matches, defeating Frances Tiafoe before losing to Auger-Aliassime.

Djokovic is the top seed at Tel Aviv this week, and will face either Thiago Monteiro or Pablo Andujar in the second round after a bye.