Novak Djokovic has announced he won’t be playing the Shanghai Masters next month and will take a break from the ATP Tour for a number of weeks. The 36-year-old won his 24th grand slam title at the US Open last week, before linking up with the Serbian team at the Davis Cup and helping them advance to the finals in November.
But the Serbian star announced on social media on Sunday that he won’t be playing the ATP 1000 event in Shanghai (starting October 2), leaving the door open for Carlos Alcaraz to reclaim the World No.1 ranking. Djokovic had already announced he won’t be playing the Laver Cup this year (from September 22-24), and won’t be defending his title at the Astana Open in Kazakhstan from September 27.
The Shanghai Masters kicks off in early October, but Djokovic has opted to skip the event to rest and recover. “Over the years, some of the best support I receive anywhere in the world is in China,” he tweeted. “Shanghai has always been one of my favourite tournaments in the season. I will be missing my Nole Fam in China. I hope that I can come back to China in the future and play in front of all of you again.”
