Novak Djokovic He will return to the China Open eleven years after his last participation with the intention of competing for the title and not only of reuniting with the Beijing public. The Serbian assured that the motivation that has accompanied him throughout his career remains intact.
The tennis player, seeded sixth, is one of the great names in the history of the tournament. Djokovic has won six titles in Beijing and has an impressive record of 29 wins and no losses in the competition.
His first rival will be the Portuguese Nuno Borges, number 48 in the world. If both advance in the draw, Djokovic could face German Alexander Zverev, second seed of the tournament, in the quarterfinals.
Djokovic returns to Beijing with ambition intact
Despite being at an advanced stage in his career, Djokovic explained that he also values playing tournaments where he enjoys the atmosphere and feels well received. Beijing occupies a special place among those competitions, especially for the bond it has built with its fans.
The Serbian arrived several days earlier in the Chinese capital to accumulate hours of training and prepare for his return. During his stay he was able to see the improvements made to the facilities and especially highlighted the reception that the public traditionally gives him.
Although in recent years he had chosen to play the Shanghai Masters 1000, Djokovic indicated that the China Open was among his priorities this time. His return also means reconnecting with a tournament in which he has never lost a match.
However, the Serbian made it clear that the affection of the fans is not enough to explain his presence in Beijing. His main objective continues to be to compete and win, regardless of the rival in front of him.
The Serbian wants to return to the last rounds
Djokovic rejected the idea that he returned solely to enjoy the atmosphere. He explained that, if that were his purpose, he could participate in exhibition matches. Their intention in an official tournament is still to fight for victory.
The 39-year-old tennis player assured that he cannot be satisfied with overcoming the first rounds and feeling satisfied with it. His aspiration continues to be to reach the last phases of each tournament in which he participates.
His recent elimination in the United States Open, where he lost in the first round to the Argentine Mariano Navone, will be one of the precedents for his return to competition in Beijing.
