Novak Djokovic arrived in China for the Shanghai Masters, his first tournament in the country for five years, but fans were devastated that the Serbian did not greet them at the airport.
The 2019 Shanghai Masters was the last time Djokovic played in China. He was defeated by Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 after a thrilling battle. That year was also notable for being Roger Federer's final appearance at an Asian tournament.
Djokovic is a four-time champion in Shanghai, winning the event in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2018. The 2012 final was particularly memorable, with Djokovic saving five championship points to defeat Andy Murray 5-7, 7-6,(13-11) 6-3.
It was unclear whether Djokovic would ever return to the Shanghai Masters. The 23-time Grand Slam winner has been clear that his focus is on Grand Slams and representing Serbia at this late stage of his career.
In fact, a few weeks ago at the Davis Cup, Djokovic indicated that he was done with tournaments like the ATP Finals and Masters 1000 events and that qualifying for the 2024 ATP Finals was not important to him.
Analysts like Alize Lim rightly point out that Djokovic cannot be blamed for prioritizing Grand Slams, but his first appearance in Shanghai in five years might indicate he cares more about qualifying for the ATP Finals than he says.
The Shanghai Masters was canceled from 2020 to 2022 due to COVID-19 restrictions, making Djokovic's five-year absence sound more dramatic than it is, but he did skip the event last year, and some felt he would not return.
Millions of fans across China love Djokovic, and there has been widespread excitement since he was announced for the penultimate ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the season.
A large crowd gathered at the airport where the former world No. 1 arrived to greet him, hoping to meet the tennis legend on his return to China, but they were left disappointed by a mix-up that left everyone involved sad.
In a video that can be watched below, Djokovic explained to some of the fans that he was taken to a different exit when he touched down at the airport and was unaware of the fans waiting to meet him.
"I am in China after five years and I miss you. I'm so sorry, really sorry that we didn't meet at the airport yesterday. I was sad when I found out, I didn't know you were there. They took me to another exit."
"I hope to see many of you in Beijing or Shanghai soon. I'm excited to be in China, mostly because of you who have been following me for years. I love you, I love you all."
It was an unfortunate situation. Those in charge at the airport may have assumed that Djokovic wanted to avoid large groups of fans and took him to the other exit without giving him the choice to meet the fans.
There is unlikely to be a spare seat available at the Shanghai Masters during Djokovic's matches. His return to the tournament has enhanced what was already set to be a great event.
0 Comments