Novak Djokovic hasn’t been seen in competitive action on a tennis court since losing to Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open.
The 24-time major winner completed the full set when it came to semifinal losses at this year’s Grand Slam events, with an emphatic loss to the Spaniard.
Roger Federer has praised Djokovic for something he’s done this year, and the fact that he’s still reaching the latter stages of the big tournaments at 38-years-old is still a positive.
The Laver Cup took centre stage over the weekend, and Team Europe captain Yannick Noah predicted whether Djokovic can win another Grand Slam during his career.
Now, the Serbian looks to be leaving no stone unturned as the year plays out the final few months, with another tournament added to his schedule.
Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty ImagesNovak Djokovic enters the Shanghai Masters
After losing at the US Open, it wasn’t completely clear when we’d see Djokovic out on court again.
Clearly, he will qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin, but other than that, it wasn’t overly clear what the schedule looked like for Djokovic.
However, it’s been confirmed this afternoon that Djokovic will take part in the ATP Masters 1000 event in Shanghai, which starts on the 1st of October.
Djokovic will now try to win that particular tournament for a fifth time, and he’s also set to play an ATP 250 event in Athens and the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia before the Tour Finals.
BREAKING: Novak Djokovic will play the Shanghai Masters 1000!
He is also confirmed for the Six Kings Slam in Saudi and for the Athens 250 (that his family owns).
Curious to see if he plays Turin. https://t.co/HSTIc8SPIS
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) September 23, 2025
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Djokovic aiming for fifth Shanghai title
Clearly, Djokovic is keen to play some more tennis and wants to end the year with a bit of a flourish.
Sam Querrey is one person who has given Djokovic some advice when it comes to winning another major, not that he really needs any help when it comes to having what it takes to win.
YearFinal OpponentScore2012Andy Murray7-5, 6-42013Juan Martin del Potro6-1, 3-6, 7-62015Jo-Wilfried Tsonga6-2, 6-42018Borna Coric6-3, 6-4Novak Djokovic Shanghai Masters Victories
Djokovic was criticised for something before the US Open, but it would appear he’s keen to get back on the court in a competitive sense.
The Shanghai Masters should give him fond memories of winning before, and the hope will be that he can win a meaningful title before the year is out.