Novak Djokovic has announced that his body is "feeling good" as he prepares to compete at the China Open this week, following an unexpected first-round exit at the US Open. The Serbian tennis star's attempt for a record-setting 25th Grand Slam title ended after he lost to world No. 45 Mariano Navone in a five-set match four weeks ago.
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This week marks Djokovic's return to the China Open, a tournament he last participated in back in 2015, where he has previously triumphed six times. He expressed enthusiasm for competing, stating, "Yeah, feeling good so far. Let's see. Obviously, it's completely different when you're playing an official match compared to practice sets or practice sessions. But so far so good."
During the challenging conditions in New York, Djokovic encountered physical difficulties, including vomiting multiple times during the match against Navone. This loss was particularly notable as it marked his first opening-round defeat at a Grand Slam since the Australian Open in 2006.
Djokovic is set to face Portuguese world No. 49 Nuno Borges in the opening round at the China Open. If both players advance, Djokovic could potentially meet Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the US Open champion, will compete against Britain's Cameron Norrie in his first match.
Following the defeat at the US Open, Djokovic fell out of the ATP Tour's top 10 for the first time in eight years and is currently in danger of missing the ATP Finals, having dropped to 15th in the Race to Turin standings.
The upcoming China Open will be Djokovic's eighth tournament this year, as he seeks his first ATP Tour title of the season.