Novak Djokovic arrived in Shanghai several days early, considering that the former world No.1 can benefit from a bye in the first round. The Serbian legend recently decided to participate in the penultimate Masters 1000 of the season, where he lifted four trophies during his legendary career by reaching the final in the last edition.
The 38-year-old from Belgrade who has had a good season so far but failed to clinch a Major title will make his debut against Croatian veteran Marin Cilic tomorrow. The 24-time Grand Slam champion who currently occupies third place in the ATP Race has not played an official match since the final US Open against Carlos Alcaraz and seems intent on being a protagonist in the latter part of this season.
Djokovic practiced with Rune
Nole is aware that his level is no longer what it was a few years ago, but he has accepted the challenge against Father Time and wants to compete at the highest level for more time. According to rumors, he wants to stay on the professional tour in 2026 and 2027 to assess his level ahead of the Los Angeles Olympics scheduled for 2028.
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At the same time, most analysts and insiders are convinced that Novak will retire from professional tennis if he fails to win his 25th Grand Slam title by the end of next season.
Meanwhile, the former world No.1 is practicing with huge effort in Shanghai and had a practice session with young Danish star Holger Rune today, even doing a set to test his shape ahead of his debut. At one point, Djokovic and Rune played an amazing point that left fans speechless. Both looked in great shape during the practice set, with Nole leading 6-5 before the end of the training.
