Novak Djokovic apologises after being escorted from Chinese airport

Novak Djokovic has issued an apology to his fans in China after failing to meet them at the airport as he bids to win his fifth title at the Shanghai Masters

Serbian tennis ace Novak Djokovic has made a heartfelt apology to his Chinese supporters after missing the chance to greet them upon his arrival in China for the Shanghai Masters. Despite being away from the country since 2019, he was unable to meet his fans at the airport and later expressed his regret.

"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."

Djokovic, eager to reclaim his glory on Chinese courts with a fifth title, is striving to bounce back after an earlier than expected departure from the US Open due to Alexei Popyrin in August. He aims to recapture his 2018 form in China.

With his sights set firmly on victory, Djokovic has been afforded some extra preparation time as he enters the tournament in the second round, awaiting the winner of the game between Alex Michelsen and Yunchaokete Bu, reports the Express.

If victorious, the Serbian could face a challenging quarter-final match against Andrey Rublev, followed by a potential semi-final against No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev.

Djokovic has a successful track record in China, having won the tournament in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2018.

In addition to aiming for his fifth Shanghai trophy, the Serbian is also on the brink of achieving his 100th career title - bringing him closer to Roger Federer's impressive tally of 103.

In 2024, Djokovic reached the Wimbledon final, the Australian Open semi-finals and the French Open quarter-finals, before securing his first-ever Olympic gold medal at the Paris Games against Carlos Alcaraz.

Despite not clinching a Grand Slam title in 2024 - the first year without a major win since 2017 for the top-tier athlete - Djokovic will be optimistic about his chances at a venue where he has previously enjoyed success.