Pioline on Djokovic's withdrawal: "It would be sad for the show and the fans".
Announced as a no-show at the forthcoming Paris-Bercy Masters 1000, Novak Djokovic now prefers to focus on his physical condition rather than on tournament after tournament.
A decision that has not yet been communicated to tournament director Cédric Pioline, interviewed by Eurosport: "We're in the process of finding out about his withdrawal. If he decides not to play, we'd be sad because he's the defending champion and a great champion. It's the player's choice, but it would be sad for the show and the fans."
However, he was keen to qualify his comments, understanding that the Serb is no longer in the same frame of mind as in previous seasons: "If I'm not mistaken, he's 37. He's reaching a stage in his career where he's managing his schedule according to the demands of his body."
Why is this more sad?