Novak Djokovic is set to return to action on the ATP Tour as he gets his 11th Shanghai Masters campaign underway.
The Serb will be playing his first match since the US Open, where Djokovic bowed out in the semifinals after suffering defeat to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz.
His appearance in Shanghai will mark just the 12th event he has entered this season, having featured solely at Grand Slam tournaments since June.
Ahead of his return, Djokovic was asked to weigh in on Alcaraz’s recent criticism of the tennis schedule, to which he gave a detailed response.
Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty ImagesNovak Djokovic gives his verdict on criticism of the ATP schedule
In his pre-tournament press conference, the 38-year-old said: “Well, I was personally against the extension of the Masters 1000 events, the increase in the number of days they last.”
Seven of the nine ATP Masters 1000 competitions have been extended to 12-day events in recent years.
“From the very beginning, I was against it. Even when I was president of the council, I didn’t support it. I think for the players, it’s not good.
“From one perspective, you could say that for me, at my age now, having more days between tournaments is good.
“But overall, for most players, it just takes away days from the calendar. Personally, I’m not supportive of that.
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“I understand there’s an upside for the tournaments and the business side, but as a player, I never liked it. I sympathise with players who are against it, because now they’re realising it’s not great.
“But at the same time, look, it’s an individual sport, and there are choices to be made. In the end, you can still make choices. Some players say there are rules imposed, but those rules are for bonuses.
“You can choose to skip them, but then you miss out on the bonus. That’s the decision you make if you want to play less. And some players also sign up for exhibitions, so it’s a little contradictory.
“I’ve been talking about this topic for many years. This isn’t the first time. People who know my press conferences or my time on the council know that more than 15 years ago, I was talking about the need to come together and reorganise the schedule and the calendar, even before the 30-year deal plan came about with the Masters events.
“It’s a long and complex topic. I don’t really know where to start or finish, to be honest. There are so many elements to consider.
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“The monopoly that has existed in this sport has been very strong for the last three or four decades, and there are people who simply don’t want to change things for the better when it comes to players’ welfare.
“Everyone tends to act in their own interest. That’s logical, from a business point of view. But as someone who has played at the highest level for more than 20 years, I can say that players are not united enough.
“They’re not participating enough when they should be. They make comments, they complain, and then they go away. Later, when something’s wrong again, they come back.
“You have to invest time and energy yourself, not your agent, not your team, not your parents, to understand how the system works and how things can be improved for players.
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“For that to happen, especially the top players need to sit down, roll up their sleeves, and care more about getting involved.
“Because just going to the media and talking about it might attract some attention, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t change anything. I know this from personal experience, trust me. It’s a very complex topic.”
Novak Djokovic’s first-round opponent at the Shanghai Masters
In the first round at the Shanghai Masters, Djokovic will come up against Marin Cilic, with whom he has an incredibly one-sided head-to-head record.
He has beaten Cilic 19 times at tour-level events and has lost just twice, with the first defeat coming at the Paris Masters in 2016.
After his triumph in the French capital, the Croatian won against Djokovic in their next clash, which came in the 2018 Queen’s Club Championships final.
Their most recent meeting was in the 2022 Tel Aviv final, which went the way of the 24-time major champion in straight sets.