Novak Djokovic apologizes to Chinese fans for an unfortunate airport incident after arriving in Shanghai
Novak Djokovic has returned to China to play the Shanghai Masters for the first time since 2019, looking for his fifth title overall.
Novak Djokovic (Image via X)
Former World No. 1 Novak Djokovic has received a lot of love from China over the years. Unfortunately, during his return to Shanghai for the first time since 2019, he missed their special welcome as he had to be escorted out of the airport privately.
Reflecting on the incident, Djokovic expressed deep regret. He spoke to the Serbian media about this matter but hopes to put on a good show for the Chinese fans as he seeks his monumental 100th ATP singles title. Djokovic is a four-time champion at the Shanghai Masters, with his last title coming in 2015.
I am in China after five years and I missed you guys. I’m so so sorry, so so sorry that we couldn’t meet yesterday at the airport, I was really sad when I saw — I didn’t know you were there. They took me on some other exit and I really hope that I can see a lot of you, possibly in Beijing the next days, or in Shanghai when I get there. I was very excited to come to China, mostly because of all of you, the people that have been following me for so many years and giving me incredible love and support. I love you, I love you guys.
Novak Djokovic said in a video shared by Serbian outlet Sportal
In addition to his Shanghai Masters titles, the city holds a special place in Djokovic’s heart as he won his first of seven ATP World Tour Finals there in 2008. He defeated Nikolay Davydenko in straight sets to finish his breakthrough season on a high note, which included his first Grand Slam title in Australia.
Djokovic’s last match in Shanghai was a quarterfinal defeat to Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2019. The tournament was canceled from 2020 to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it returned last year, with Hubert Hurkacz claiming the title in a close match against Andrey Rublev.
Novak Djokovic’s draw explained for Shanghai Masters 2024
Novak Djokovic is preparing for his second match after a surprising loss to Alexei Popyrin in the third round of the US Open. He played a Davis Cup match the following week and looked to have recaptured the form that won him the Olympic Gold medal in Paris.
After an exhibition in Bulgaria with Grigor Dimitrov, the Serbian tennis legend is set to get serious again in terms of tennis competition.
Now, he will face either American player Alex Michelsen or rising Chinese star Bu Yunchaokete. The young Chinese player is having an incredible run at the China Open, recently beating Andrey Rublev and reaching the semifinals against World No. 1 Jannik Sinner.
If Djokovic wins his opening match, he might meet Stanislas Wawrinka in the next round. They have had many intense battles in Grand Slam tournaments over the years, including memorable matches at the Australian Open and the US Open.
The duo recently met at Wimbledon, with the Serbian winning in straight sets. Looking ahead, Djokovic could face Rublev in the quarterfinals. If he wins that match, he might then compete against No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev in the semifinals.
Djokovic has managed to avoid facing both Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz until at least the final. This pattern also occurred at Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open. However, Djokovic has not been able to capitalize on these match-ups, as the Grand Slam titles went to Sinner and Alcaraz.
Fahad Hamid
(314 Articles Published)