Novak Djokovic is going back to a tournament he has never lost. The 39-year-old Serbian confirmed on Wednesday that he will play the China Open in Beijing at the end of the month, ending an 11-year absence from the ATP 500 event that once formed the backbone of his Asian swing.

“I’m very happy to announce that I’m coming back after many years to play in Beijing at the China Open,” he wrote in a social media post.

He said he was excited to be back at the National Tennis Centre, calling it “one of the nicest venues we have in tennis” and a place tied to “some incredible memories and great success” in his career.

Djokovic won the China Open in each of his six appearances there: 2009, 2010, and every year from 2012 through 2015. He has never lost a match at the tournament, and 2026 will be his first appearance in Beijing since he lifted the trophy for the sixth time as a 28-year-old.

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After a first-round exit in New York

The announcement comes just over two weeks after Djokovic’s first-round exit at the US Open, where he lost a five-set match to Argentina’s Mariano Navone in four hours and 36 minutes, the longest opening-round match of his career at a major. It was his first opening-round defeat at a Grand Slam since the 2006 Australian Open, and it has pushed him outside the ATP top 10.

Djokovic described the physical strain he has been carrying through the season.

“It’s something that I’ve been carrying, unfortunately, pretty much every match this year: vomiting, throwing up, a serious issue there,” he said after the loss in New York.

The strongest Beijing field of the year

The draw waiting for him in Beijing is one of the strongest of the season. Reigning champion and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner leads the entry list, joined by world No. 2 Alexander Zverev, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Flavio Cobolli, Alex de Minaur and Daniil Medvedev. Seven of the top 10 are in the field. Carlos Alcaraz has opted to play the Japan Open in Tokyo the same week rather than travel to Beijing.

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Play at the China Open runs from 30 September to 6 October at the National Tennis Centre.

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