Djokovic fails to finish stellar event (4)

I believe the answer is:

nova

'stellar event' is the definition.

'djokovic fails to finish' is the wordplay.
'djokovic' becomes 'novak' (Novak Djokovic).
'fails to finish' means to remove the last letter.
'novak' with its last letter taken away is 'NOVA'.

(Other definitions for nova that I've seen before include "Suddenly bright star" , "Canadian province" , "Star showing a sudden temporary increase in brightness" , "Star that suddenly increases in brightness" , "sun" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.