Novak Djokovic puts out grovelling apology after mix-up at Chinese airport

Novak Djokovic has offered his apologies to fans in China after not meeting them at the airport upon his arrival.

The Serbian tennis star touched down in the country for the prestigious Shanghai Masters, marking his first time back in China since 2019. Djokovic was stopped by fans in Shanghai and explained that he had been taken out a different exit at the airport.
“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,” Djokovic can be heard saying in a video posted to social media.
“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.”
Djokovic is aiming to get back to winning ways after his recent third-round departure at the US Open at the hands of Alexei Popyrin. With his eyes set firmly on lifting his fifth title in China, the Serb is eager to make his mark with a £820,000 winners’ cheque up for grabs.

The Serbian does have time to prepare as he received a bye straight into the second round, where he awaits the winner between Alex Michelsen and Yunchaokete Bu.
If he wins, Djokovic could face a challenging quarter-final against Andrey Rublev, and potentially No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals.
The Serbian is looking to get back to winning ways ( Image: PEDJA MILOSAVLJEVIC/AFP via Getty Images)
Djokovic has a strong track record in China, having won the trophy in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2018. Not only is he aiming for his fifth Shanghai trophy, but the Serbian star is also on the brink of securing his 100th career title – inching him closer to Roger Federer’s impressive tally of 103.
In 2024, Djokovic reached the Wimbledon final, the Australian Open semi-final and the French Open quarter-finals, before bagging his first-ever Olympic gold medal at the Paris Games against Carlos Alcaraz.

Despite not securing a Grand Slam title in 2024 – the first year without a major win since 2017 for the elite athlete – Djokovic will be confident about his chances at a place where he’s previously enjoyed success.