Djokovic to return to China Open

The 24-time Grand Slam champion is set to compete in Beijing for the first time since 2015 Photo: REUTERS Novak Djokovic will return to the China Open after an 11-year absence, the 24-times Grand Slam champion announced on Wednesday, as he looks ‌to rebuild momentum after slipping to world number 12 and suffering a shock first-round exit at the U.S. Open. The 39-year-old Serb is returning to the ATP 500 event in Beijing, where he boasts a perfect record ⁠and a tournament-best six titles. Djokovic's most recent China Open triumph came in 2015, the last year he competed at the tournament. The decision follows his first-round loss at the U.S. Open to unseeded Argentine Mariano Navone in five sets. Djokovic, a four-times champion in New York, vomited midway through the match and was hampered by back and ‌shoulder ⁠issues that affected his serve late on. The defeat marked the first time Djokovic had lost in the opening round of a Grand Slam since the 2006 Australian Open. "I am excited to ⁠come back and perform in front of all of you at the National Tennis Centre - one of the nicest venues we ⁠have in tennis," the former world number one said on social media. The men's draw at the China ⁠Open runs from September 30 to October 6. World number one Jannik Sinner won the men's title last year.