"Novak Djokovic knows exactly what he needs to do in every moment" - Alex Corretja reveals why the Serb is the biggest contender to win ATP Finals

Alex Corretja believes Novak Djokovic will be the biggest contender to win the ATP Finals despite not playing enough tennis prior to the tournament.

The 2023 ATP Finals are scheduled to begin on November 12. The eight-day tournament, also known as the year-end championship, will be held at the hard courts of Turin, Italy.

Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, and Jannik Sinner have already qualified for the annual event. The likes of Andrey Rublev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev, and Holger Rune, remain the probables to compete at the tournament.

Out of the four already qualified, Djokovic remains the only player to not have played on tour since his US Open triumph. He will return to action for the Paris Masters tournament, which will begin on October 28.

Corretja, however, believes the Serb's absence won't hamper his chances at the year-end championships because of his mastery in managing his schedule. He said, via Eurosport:

"I think he should be really one of the biggest contenders or the biggest contender to win, for sure, the ATP Finals. Novak is a master of the calendar because he knows exactly what he needs to do in every moment."

Corretja mentioned that the 36-year-old's understanding of his health and abilities is the reason behind his efficiency during the season. He added:

"But in order to do that, you need to know your body, you need to know your game. You need to know exactly where is your peak, at which moment. So, I think Novak does that very well," the Spaniard explained.

Djokovic has won the year-end championship six times so far. The Serb won the tournament in the year 2008 and lifted the trophy for four consecutive years from 2012 to 2015. His latest ATP Finals triumph came last year with a victory over Casper Ruud in the decider.

Roger Federer has also won the coveted title six times — a joint record with the Serb.

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Novak Djokovic sheds light on what he learned from Roger Federer

Day Thirteen: The Championships - Wimbledon 2019

In a recent interview with John McEnroe for ESPN (h/t Tennis365) last month, Novak Djokovic revealed that he took scheduling lessons from his archrival Roger Federer.

"One thing I learned from Federer – how to organise my schedule to be able to peak at the Grand Slams.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion told McEnroe that he observed Federer going about his business and prepared notes.

"He was one of the first players to really take the scheduling, preparation to a different level. I was inspired by that and I was making notes with my team and I was taking a lot from that scheduling. And observing him and his team and how he has gone about it. So thanks Roger."

The Serb played Federer 50 times before the latter retired in 2022 and leads the head-to-head record 27-23.