Novak Djokovic to return at China Open in Beijing starting September 30

Novak Djokovic confirmed he will return to competition at the ATP 500 China Open in Beijing beginning September 30 after his shock opening-round loss at the 2026 US Open.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion, 39, ended what the article describes as one of his worst Grand Slam seasons with a defeat to Mariano Navone at the US Open and cited a deteriorating physical condition after the loss, prompting fresh questions over his future in the sport. In recent years Djokovic has typically played the Shanghai Masters after the US Open and has not entered many events during the Asian swing, making his decision to compete in Beijing a surprise.

The China Open is an ATP 500 tournament scheduled to start on September 30 in Beijing. Djokovic has an unblemished record at the event, having played six times and won the title on each occasion without a loss.

His most recent appearance in Beijing came in 2015, when he defeated Rafael Nadal in straight sets, and he confirmed his participation for 2026 by posting a story on Instagram that read: “I’m very happy to announce that I’m coming back after many years to play in Beijing at the China Open”.

Djokovic will join a field led by World No. 1 and reigning champion Jannik Sinner, who is set to make a comeback after withdrawing from the entire North American hard-court swing and the US Open. Also entered are recently crowned US Open winner Alexander Zverev and the players listed among the top eight: Felix Auger-Aliassime, Daniil Medvedev, Flavio Cobolli, Alex de Minaur and Jakub Mensik.

Having failed to defend his semi-final points in New York, Djokovic has dropped out of the ATP top-10 for the first time since 2018 and is currently ranked No. 12, and he is reported to be seeking the points needed to return to the top-8 to improve his chances at Grand Slams in 2027.

It remains to be seen if Djokovic is at his best physically, because his record in non-Grand Slam events stands at a modest 2-3 this year.

Djokovic will next be in action at the 2026 China Open in Beijing from September 30.