Novak Djokovic will return to the China Open \u2060after an 11-year absence, the 24-time Grand Slam champion announced on Wednesday, \u200cas he looks to rebuild momentum after slipping \u200cto world number 12 and suffering \u200ca shock first-round exit at the \u200cUS Open.<\/p>\n
The 39-year-old Serb is returning \u200cto the ATP 500 event in Beijing, where he boasts a perfect record and \u200ca tournament-best six titles.<\/p>\n
Djokovic’s<\/a>\u00a0\u2060most recent \u200cChina Open triumph came in 2015, the last \u200byear he competed at the tournament.<\/p>\n The decision follows his first-round \u200bloss at the US Open<\/a> to unseeded Argentine Mariano Navone<\/a> in five sets.<\/p>\n Djokovic, a four-time \u200bchampion in New York, vomited midway through the match and was hampered by back and shoulder issues that affected \u200chis serve late on.<\/p>\n The defeat marked the first time Djokovic had lost in the opening round of a Grand Slam since the 2006 Australian Open.<\/p>\n “I am excited to come back and perform in front of all of you at the National Tennis Centre – one \u200cof the nicest venues we have \u200bin tennis,” the former world number one \u200csaid on social media.<\/p>\n The men’s draw at the China Open runs from September 30th to October 6th.<\/p>\n