Novak Djokovic Returns to China Open: King of Beijing

Novak Djokovic is going back to a place he once owned.

After a decade away, the 39-year-old has confirmed he will return to the China Open in Beijing, where his dominance once bordered on absurd. From 2009 to 2015, the Serbian walked into the National Tennis Centre and almost never walked out without the trophy.

He played seven editions.

He won six of them.

King of Beijing returns

Djokovic last appeared at the China Open in 2015, when he dismantled Rafael Nadal 6–2, 6–2 in the final to successfully defend his title and complete a fourth consecutive triumph in the Chinese capital. That victory capped a staggering run in Beijing that read like a personal fiefdom rather than a regular ATP stop.

His China Open titles came in a cascade:

• 2009: defeated Marin Cilic, 6–2, 7–6
• 2010: defeated David Ferrer, 6–2, 6–4
• 2012: defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 7–6, 6–2
• 2013: defeated Rafael Nadal, 6–3, 6–4
• 2014: defeated Tomas Berdych, 6–0, 6–2
• 2015: defeated Rafael Nadal, 6–2, 6–2

Six trophies in seven years. No man has lifted the China Open title more.

Now he is coming back.

Earlier this month his name quietly appeared on the entry list, tucked alongside Jannik Sinner and US Open champion Alexander Zverev. That alone stirred anticipation. Djokovic has now removed any doubt with a direct message to fans.

"I'm very happy to announce that I'm coming back after many years to play in Beijing at the China Open," he said in a message on his Instagram story. "I am excited to come back and perform in front of all of you at the National Tennis Centre – one of the nicest venues we have in tennis.

"A place where I had some incredible memories and great success throughout my career.

"I want to thank all the Chinese fans for their continuous love and support for so many years. Can't wait to perform in front of you. See you very soon."

From New York shock to Beijing comfort

Djokovic does not arrive in China in full command of the sport. His last major memory is a jolt.

At the US Open he crashed out in the first round to Mariano Navone, his first opening-round defeat at a Grand Slam since the 2006 Australian Open. Two decades at the top, and still that result cut through the noise.

The timing of his Beijing return suddenly feels sharper. When a champion takes a hit, he looks for familiar ground. For Djokovic, there are few courts on earth more familiar, or more forgiving, than those at the National Tennis Centre.

China is not just another stop on his schedule. It is a place where his game once reached a near-perfect pitch, where finals against Nadal and others turned into exhibitions of precision and control. If he needs a stage to reset, this is it.

Sinner the new standard in Beijing

While Djokovic has been away, Beijing has not stood still.

Last year, Jannik Sinner took hold of the tournament and never loosened his grip. The Italian swept to the 2025 title, beating Learner Tien 6–2, 6–2 in a one-sided final at the National Tennis Centre. He struck 24 winners against 16 unforced errors; Tien managed 11 winners and 18 errors.

"It is a very, very special place for me," Sinner said during the trophy presentation, as per the ATP website. His words matched his tennis: assured, clear, ambitious.

That title in Beijing lit the fuse on a blistering finish to Sinner’s season. He went on to win in Vienna, Paris and Turin, turning a strong year into a statement one. For the current generation, Beijing is no longer just Djokovic’s old playground; it is a launchpad.

Old empire, new era

So the stage is set: the most decorated champion in China Open history walks back into a tournament now shaped by Sinner’s rise and Zverev’s major-winning credentials.

Djokovic returns with a point to prove after New York, to himself as much as to anyone else. Sinner returns as the defending champion who has already shown he can turn Beijing form into a global surge.

The National Tennis Centre has seen Djokovic at his most ruthless. Now it will test whether that version of him still exists, and how it measures up against the players who grew up watching him rule these very courts.