ATP Shanghai: Retirement Nowhere in Sight for Novak Djokovic as His Love for China Sparks Recent Hopes for the Tennis Neighborhood

Novak Djokovic has had fairly a combined season! After taking a while off and exploring China, he’s again on the courtroom on the Shanghai Masters. Leaving followers questioning if this might be considered one of his final appearances. Nonetheless, his return additionally brings in some pleasure! Particularly since he’s trying to reclaim his spot in a event the place he’s at all times achieved nicely. Will he put these retirement whispers to relaxation and preserve chasing greatness?

Throughout his match on the Shanghai Masters on October 8, Novak Djokovic showcased his dominant abilities by crushing Flavio Cobolli with a fast 6-1, 6-2 victory in simply over an hour! In a post-match interview, a reporter requested, “at this stage of your profession you’ve been fairly cheap, and I feel all of us perceive that, putting your priorities on the Slams, and in addition choosing just a few different tournaments….I do know it’s too early to speak about subsequent yr, however how does that or does that make it possibly just a little extra stronger push so that you can attempt to do extraordinarily nicely this week right here?”

Djokovic, who’s making his first look on the Chinese language ATP Masters 1000 since 2019, is at the moment competing in his fifth title at this prestigious event. He has already gained 4 titles (2012, 2013, 2015, and 2018) and holds the file for many wins in event historical past with 34 victories. Within the Serb’s phrases,

“Effectively, I at all times wish to do very nicely in China, and I feel my previous outcomes are a testomony to how I really feel in China. I at all times had large success, each Beijing and Shanghai. It’s undoubtedly because of the unbelievable love and respect and help I’m getting from the Chinese language individuals.” He additional referred to as his reference to China “profound” and gave his followers a hope to do his finest and return subsequent yr.

Though Novak can’t give a strong affirmation of his schedule going forward, he stays optimistic concerning the future, stating, “I don’t know what subsequent yr brings by way of my schedule and so forth. I do know that I nonetheless wish to preserve enjoying. I’ve to see the place I’m in my life with my physique and all the pieces, however I nonetheless have plans to go forward, you already know, as earlier years, prioritizing the most important occasions, however then I nonetheless wish to make my annual journey to China, at the least for one event, due to the unbelievable vitality and love I really feel right here.”

Earlier than the Shanghai Masters, Novak Djokovic visited Beijing and the Nice Wall of China. Lacoste organized a particular occasion on the Ju Yong Guan go, the place Djokovic performed tennis with Chinese language actor Wang Yibo. Djokovic additionally explored the Summer time Palace and loved sightseeing in Beijing, carrying a vibrant inexperienced tracksuit. Regardless of his concentrate on his tennis, Djokovic can also be conscious of the challenges confronted by different gamers.

Novak desires higher participant therapy with PTPA

Since 2023, a yr by which solely two tennis gamers have been featured among the many world’s 100 best-paid sportspeople, Djokovic has been vocal about the need for change inside skilled tennis. “All of us undoubtedly wish to see a change on the base stage as a result of the one hundred and fiftieth participant on the planet struggles,” Djokovic stated final yr, when requested concerning the PTPA’s mission. Having began his skilled tennis profession practically 21 years in the past, he understands firsthand that “Folks don’t understand how costly this sport is.”

Even Ahmad Nassar, the CEO of the PTPA, criticized the present tennis system as biased in opposition to gamers and suboptimal for followers, media, and industrial companions. He referred to as for a long-term transformation to deal with these points, emphasizing the necessity for a 10-year plan to information the game in direction of a extra sustainable future.

Beforehand, it was reported that the distinction in earnings between tennis and its different counterpart, golf, is just too large to be missed. That is likely one of the explanation why Djokovic or Nassar are able to sort out the issue assertion.

Nonetheless, whereas whispers of retirement could encompass him, Novak Djokovic reveals that he’s nonetheless tremendous obsessed with tennis. It is probably not solely the followers or the game. Fairly, it’s a mixture of each which makes him wish to do higher!