Djokovic makes his latest significant decision following the 2025 US Open.

Djokovic enters this tournament following a strong performance at the US Open, where he reached the semifinals before being stopped by Carlos Alcaraz. Shortly after that loss, the Serbian player confirmed he will join the Six Kings Slam exhibition event in Riyadh in October, but before that, he has the opportunity to pursue his fifth Shanghai Masters title.

At a press conference in Flushing Meadows, Djokovic openly admitted the difficulty of competing against the new generation, especially Alcaraz and Sinner, in best-of-five matches at Grand Slam events.

"It will be very challenging for me in the future to overcome obstacles named Sinner and Alcaraz in best-of-five matches. I believe my chances are higher in best-of-three matches, but five sets are indeed very demanding," Djokovic said. However, he also confirmed he has not abandoned the dream of winning his 25th Grand Slam and will keep fighting to reach finals.

Returning to Shanghai gives Djokovic the chance to add another Masters 1000 title to his achievements. With both Alcaraz and Sinner participating, this year’s tournament promises to be the first time Djokovic faces these two major rivals in a best-of-three format since the US Open.

According to the schedule, the Rolex Shanghai Masters will run from October 1 to 12. Afterwards, Djokovic will head to Saudi Arabia to compete in the Six Kings Slam from October 15 to 18. The 37-year-old player will have three weeks of rest before targeting the ATP Finals in Turin, where the top eight players of the season will compete for the 2025 title.

Currently, Djokovic holds third place in the ATP rankings with 4,180 points, behind only Alcaraz and Sinner. Following him are promising young players such as Alexander Zverev, Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz, Lorenzo Musetti, and Alex de Minaur. Although no points are awarded at the Six Kings Slam, Djokovic can still widen his gap over Zverev and other challengers if he performs well in Shanghai.