Novak Djokovic to play Shanghai for first time in five years | ATP Tour

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Djokovic set for first Shanghai appearance in five years

Serbian is four-time champion at ATP Masters 1000 event

September 03, 2024

Novak Djokovic will make his long-awaited return to China at the upcoming Rolex Shanghai Masters, where he is a record four-time champion.

The 37-year-old Serbian joins rivals including Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev on the entry list for the ATP Masters 1000 event, which will be held from 2-13 October. Djokovic, who has not competed in Shanghai since 2019, holds a 34-5 record at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena.

“I can’t wait. I’m super excited to see my Chinese fans, all the tennis fans,” said Djokovic of his return to Shanghai. “It’s one of the nicest tennis tournaments in the world. Five years has been too long to not visit China, so I’m really looking forward to [it].”

Having clinched his first tour-level title of 2024 last month at the Paris Olympics before reaching the third round at the US Open, Djokovic will next seek a deep run in Shanghai to boost his Nitto ATP Finals qualification hopes. The record-40-time Masters 1000 titlist is currently eighth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin as he bids to qualify for the prestigious season finale for the 17th time in his career.

Hubert Hurkacz will compete as the defending champion at this year’s edition of the Shanghai event, while hopes will be lead by the No. 41 in the PIF ATP Rankings Zhang Zhizhen and #NextGenATP star Shang Juncheng.