Novak Djokovic heading to China as he confirms return to action in Shanghai
The 24-time major winner says best-of-three-sets matches give him better chance against top two, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
Novak Djokovic will return to action in Shanghai next week in his first tournament since his US Open semi-final defeat by Carlos Alcaraz, organisers of the Masters tournament said.
The Serb has won the event four times and will be making his 14th main-draw appearance as he looks to finish the season strong after being shut out of the grand slams by world No 1 Alcaraz and No 2 Jannik Sinner.
“He’s back. Our four-time champ, @DjokerNole will return to Shanghai this year,” the tournament posted on social media.
The 24-time major winner has struggled to find a way past the new duo dominating men’s tennis in the past two seasons but had said in New York that best-of-three-sets matches gave him a better chance.
The 38-year-old reached the final in Shanghai last year, losing to Sinner in straight sets. This year’s tournament runs from October 1 to 12.
Meanwhile, former world No 3 Elina Svitolina has ended her season early to focus on her mental health, with the Ukrainian saying she was not in the “right emotional space” to continue.