Djokovic’s China Open return will test his fitness
The six-time champion says his body has responded well in preparation for his first competitive match since the US Open.
Novak Djokovic is due to return to competitive tennis at the China Open on Wednesday, when he faces Portugal’s Nuno Borges in Beijing. It would be his first match since his first-round loss to Mariano Navone at the US Open on 30 August.
Djokovic told Al Jazeera he was feeling good and that his body had responded well during preparation. He cautioned that an official match would be a different test from practice sessions.
The 39-year-old struggled with shoulder and back problems during the US Open match and vomited midway through it. His fitness in competition remains untested ahead of the scheduled Beijing match.
Djokovic has won the China Open six times and holds a 29-0 record at the tournament, according to the report. He said Beijing was on his priority list this year, after not playing there for 11 years.
