In Pictures: Novak Djokovic takes on China in neon green track suit as he goes shopping, rides bicycle & more ahead of Shanghai Masters

Ahead of his thirteenth appearance at the Shanghai Masters, Novak Djokovic took some time to explore the city. The Serb recently turned heads in a neon green tracksuit as he went shopping, rode a bicycle, and sightseeing ahead of the tournament which kicks off on October 2 and concludes on October 13.

Djokovic was also spotted playing tennis on the Great Wall alongside Chinese actor Wang Yibo during a Lacoste-organized event on Sunday.

This marks his first appearance at the tournament in five years, as the event was not held between 2020 to 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, Djokovic missed the tournament due to scheduling reasons.

On Monday, the former World No. 1 posted a series of photos and a video on Instagram, giving fans a glimpse of how he’s spending his time in China. In one of the pictures, he is seen sitting on a bicycle and posing for the camera in a neon green Lacoste tracksuit. Djokovic can also be seen standing at the entrance of a door holding a map of China and making a welcoming gesture in a video. He captioned the post:

“Chinese dreams in @lacoste greens.”

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Novak Djokovic apologizes to Chinese fans for missing airport greeting

Novak Djokovic (Source: Getty)

Upon his arrival in China, the 24-time Grand Slam winner had fans waiting for him at the airport. However, their expectations were cut short as the Serb exited through another route.

On Monday, a video surfaced on Instagram in which Djokovic apologized to the fans. He said (via Express):

"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."

This season, the 37-year-old has only claimed the men’s singles gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, a stark contrast to last year when by this time in September he had already won five titles and added two more by season’s end.

This season, the Serb is on the hunt to extend his record at the Shanghai Masters to five titles since his first participation in 2006. Since the tournament's inaugural edition in 2009, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Roger Federer have collectively won it nine times.