All the feels: Arthur Rinderknech, Valentin Vacherot get tears flowing in emotional Shanghai ceremony

The ATP officially returns in China this week for the first time since 2019 with a pair of 250-level events in Zhuhai and Chengdu. While familiar stops in Beijing and Shanghai are due to follow, this part of the calendar swing will be without the tour’s No. 1-ranked player.

On Sunday, Novak Djokovic confirmed that he would not play the Rolex Shanghai Masters. The Serbian was previously the only member of the Top 15 not entered in Beijing the prior tournament week.

“Over the years, some of the best support I receive anywhere in the world is in China. Shanghai has always been one of my favorite tournaments in the season,” Djokovic wrote.

“I will be missing my #NoleFam in China. I hope that I can come back to China in the future and play in front of all of you again.”

When November rolls around, Djokovic will seek a record-breaking seventh ATP Finals crown.

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The 36-year-old is coming off a physically and emotionally draining stretch that saw him triumph in Cincinnati before claiming an all-time record-tying 24th major title at the US Open. Djokovic then headed to Valencia, where he helped Serbia earn a place in November’s Final 8 knockout stage of the Davis Cup Finals thanks to a second-place finish in Group C.

Djokovic has been a significant presence in China throughout his career, owning a perfect 29-0 record and six titles at Beijing. Four of his record 39 ATP Masters 1000 crowns have come in Shanghai. He also captured his first ATP Finals trophy in 2008 when the season finale was staged in Shanghai and won the bronze medal earlier that year at the Beijing Olympics.

The Belgrade native is due to drop 750 points from his ranking next month when 2022 title runs from Tel Aviv (250 on October 2) and Astana (500 on October 16) come off. Djokovic currently leads world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz by 3260 points and is 46-5 on the year.

Among the remaining possibilities to next see Djokovic compete in the lead-up to mid-November’s ATP Finals in Turin includes a pair of 500 tournaments hosted by Basel and Vienna and the Masters 1000 event at Paris-Bercy.