"Exactly the reason why I came": Novak Djokovic returns the love in winning Shanghai return

Until Saturday, Novak Djokovic hadn’t stepped foot on a match court in China since 2019.

Introduced as the Greatest Of All Time to a packed house, the four-time Rolex Shanghai Masters champion made a winning return against a new opponent after being reminded of the energy directed his way inside Qi Zhong Stadium.

“Today on the court was marvelous. To experience the introduction and the support and love from Chinese fans in this way is exactly the reason why I came,” Djokovic declared to press.

Tested by rising American Alex Michelsen, Djokovic battled to a 7-6 (3), 7-6 (9) victory. The ATP’s all-time leader in weeks at No. 1 erased a 4-1 deficit in the opening set, then recovered from seeing his own 4-1 lead evaporate in set two. Djokovic saved a pair of set points at 7-8 and 8-9 in the tiebreak after Michelsen staved off two match points.

“These conditions I think are quite suitable to him. He has a big serve, he has attacking style of tennis, and, it was very challenging for me at times, particularly the beginning,” said the fourth seed. “He was all over me, I would say, in the first five games, and took me a little bit of time to get the rust off from not playing an official match for quite a few weeks.

“It was anybody's set in the second set, tiebreak, point by point. So, yeah, just very glad to stay tough mentally, and calm when it mattered the most.”

Djokovic is bidding to win his 100th career title, with his most recent triumph coming at the Paris Olympics. The 37-year-old has now won 35 of the 40 matches he’s contested at this ATP Masters 1000 event.

“I really missed being in Shanghai, I missed China. Five years is way too long for the kind of support that I'm getting here, so I want to thank everybody from bottom of my heart for coming out already in the first match, filling up the stadium, and creating a great atmosphere.”

Top seed Jannik Sinner, second seed Alexander Zverev and third seed Carlos Alcaraz also advanced in straight sets. Alcaraz edged out Sinner to claim Wednesday's Beijing final.