Novak Djokovic’s schedule revealed after raising injury fears in loss to world No.204 | Tennis | Sport

The 24-time Grand Slam champion is expected to compete in the Six Kings Slams in Riyadh this coming week. Djokovic also played in the lucrative exhibition event last year, losing to Jannik Sinner but winning his third-place playoff match against Rafael Nadal.

Djokovic joins Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas in the field. Matches will be played on October 15, 16 and 18. As the two men with the most Grand Slam titles, Djokovic and Alcaraz receive byes, and won’t need to play until Thursday.

Djokovic is expected to face the winner of Sinner vs Tsitsipas, while Alcaraz will face Zverev or Fritz. All six players get £1.1m just for turning up and competing, while the winner gets an extra £3.4m.

The world No. 5 has committed to one more event – the ATP 250 in Athens, taking place in the first week of November. The tournament is typically held in Djokovic’s home of Belgrade, Serbia and is run by his family, but it’s been moved to Greece this year.

Djokovic has also reportedly made the move to Athens with his wife and two children. Last month, he was spotted watching Greece’s Davis Cup tie against Brazil with his son, Stefan.

The 38-year-old has also put his name on the entry list for the Paris Masters, which kicks off on October 27, and he is primed to qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin, held from November 9 to 16, but he’s made it clear that he still isn’t sure whether he’ll play either tournament.

It remains to be seen whether Djokovic is ready for his upcoming tournaments, especially the Six Kings Slam, which is just days away. The world No. 5 struggled with the brutal heat and humidity throughout the week in Shanghai.

Djokovic threw up on the court in multiple matches and collapsed after losing a gruelling set point to Jaume Munar in the fourth round. But the real concern came when he lost to Vacherot in Saturday’s semi-final.

The four-time former champion in Shanghai started stretching his hip in the first set and called the physio, receiving a medical timeout. He continued to receive treatment in the next two changeovers and limped around the court in between points.

Djokovic played on and improved during the second set, but it still wasn’t enough, and he lost 6-3 6-4. When asked to speak about his physical condition after the match, the Serb replied: “No. Next question, please.”