Four-time champion Novak Djokovic will return to Shanghai next month in an attempt to bounce back from his loss to Jannik Sinner in last year’s tournament.
On Tuesday, the Rolex Shanghai Masters’ official page on Twitter shared a post announcing Djokovic’s entry into the draw along with a highlight video of the 24-time Grand Slam champ’s best moments in Shanghai.
“He’s back. Our 4-time champ, @DjokerNole, will return to Shanghai this year! #RolexShanghaiMasters”
Djokovic, of course, is coming off an impressive run at the US Open that saw him reach the semifinals before coming up short against Carlos Alcaraz.
Following the loss, Djokovic was confirmed to play the Six Kings Slam in Riyadh next month, however, before doing so, he will head to Shanghai in pursuit of his fifth tournament title.
Djokovic Likes His Odds Against Alcaraz & Sinner in Masters 1000s
After Novak Djokovic’s defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals of the US Open, the all-time great spoke openly about the difficulties of keeping up with Alcaraz and Sinner in best-of-five matches.
Although his sights are still set on capturing an elusive 25th Grand Slam title, Djokovic hinted at playing Masters 1000 tournaments, where he feels he has a better chance against Alcaraz and Sinner.
While speaking with members of the press in Flushing Meadows, he explained:
“It will be very difficult for me in the future to overcome the hurdle of Sinner, Alcaraz, in the best-of-five on the Grand Slams. I think I have a better chance in best-of-three, but best-of-five, it’s tough.
“I’m not giving up on Grand Slams in that regard, having said that. I’m going to continue fighting and trying to get to the finals and fight for another trophy at least. But, you know, it’s going to be a very difficult task.”
Now, Djokovic will have a chance to add another Masters 1000 title to his already stellar resume.
With both Alcaraz and Sinner set to compete in Shanghai, this will be Djokovic’s first chance to collide with either of the two stars in a best-of-three format since his US Open loss.
Looking at Novak Djokovic’s Schedule for the Remainder of the Season
While Novak Djokovic had prioritized playing Grand Slams both last season, and this season, we’ve seen a shift in the all-time great’s mindset heading into the final stretch of the season.
Next week, Djokovic will play the Rolex Shanghai Masters, which is set to run from Wednesday, Oct. 1 to Sunday, Oct. 12.
From there, he will then head to Saudi Arabia for the Six Kings Slam, which is scheduled to run from Wednesday, Oct. 15 to Saturday, Oct. 18.
Djokovic will then have three weeks to recover before the ATP Finals in Turin, where the top eight players this season will compete for the 2025 championship.
Currently, Djokovic is ranked third with 4,180 points behind only Alcaraz and Sinner.
Just behind him is Alexander Zverev, Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz, Lorenzo Musetti, and Alex de Minaur.
While Djokovic won’t receive any ranking points for participating in the Six Kings Slam, he’ll have a chance to put some distance between himself and Zverev in Shanghai.
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