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Amanda Anisimova capped off an incredible China Open campaign with a thrilling three-set victory over Linda Noskova in Sunday’s final — and produced a classy post-match interview after her triumph.

In a championship match that ebbed and flowed between both women, Anisimova fought off a comeback from 26th seed Noskova to battle her way to a 6-0, 2-6, 6-2 triumph and lift the title for the very first time.

It is the fourth WTA title of Anisimova’s career and her second WTA 1000 title of 2025, following her Qatar Open triumph in February — making her just the fourth woman born in the 2000s to win multiple WTA 1000 crowns in the same year, joining Bianca Andreescu (2019), Iga Swiatek (2022, 2024) and Mirra Andreeva (2025).

It also continues her stunning season and, in particular, her momentum from an impressive summer that saw her reach back-to-back Grand Slam finals at Wimbledon and the US Open.

In her interview after the match, the 24-year-old paid a warm tribute to her beaten opponent, Noskova, and sent a classy message to her team, family, and all those behind the scenes in Beijing.

Here are Anisimova’s full quotes from her China Open victory.

Amanda Anisimova’s full China Open post-match reaction

“For sure, it’s been an incredible few weeks.

“I want to congratulate Linda. You’ve been playing amazing, you’re also so young still, so I’m sure we have a lot more finals to play. I’m excited to see how you progress and see how your career goes. I’m sure it’s going to be really great, so congratulations to you and your team on an incredible few weeks here, and making it to the final.

“Also, since the first day that I got here, I want to say thank you so much to the fans and all of the crowds that have come to watch all the matches. I’m sure not just me, but every single player has felt so much love here. It’s incredible and you guys are amazing. I felt a lot of love this entire two weeks.

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“Also, I want to thank the organising committee, all the sponsors, the ball kids, the volunteers, the chair umpires, physios, doctors, tournament director, and supervisor, and everyone who makes this tournament possible. I mean, it’s such an incredible one [event] and I’ve had the best time here. You guys really put on a great tournament, so thank you so much.

“To my team over there, wow — what a two weeks it’s been! We’ve had a lot of challenges and despite that, we also still have so much fun and we work very hard. I mean, it’s crazy that we made it this far and to get the win today has been really special. Thank you for sharing that with me, you guys are the best, so, yeah, I’m excited for a lot more and hopefully we can keep going.

“And, also to my family back home — I’m sure they’re watching right now — so excited to talk to you guys and see you soon. I love you.

“I think I’m done but my nephews, who I think might be watching, I just want to say hi, Jackson and Kylo, I love you guys — Ok, that’s the last thing.”

Read Next: China Open prize money & ranking points won by Amanda Anisimova & Linda Noskova revealed

The post Every word Amanda Anisimova said after her stunning China Open triumph appeared first on Tennis365.

She is one of the few players to have beaten world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No 2 Iga Swiatek in 2025 and now Clara Tauson has opened up on how she got the better of the two biggest hitters in women’s tennis.

Speaking exclusively to Tennis365 at the Dongfeng · Voyah Wuhan Open, Tauson reflected on her wins against Sabalenka in Dubai, where she went on to reach the final of the W1000 event and her victory against Swiatek at the Canadian Open in August.

“I think it obviously gives you confidence that you can play with these players and beat them as well,” Tauson told Tennis365.

“I always believed I could beat the top players. I have had some matches where I was 6-4 in the third set with them and this showed I was close, what was possible.

“Beating players like that shows what you can do and it also means it raises some expectations and maybe I need to be better at managing that.

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“Next year, hopefully I can do the same kind of year and hopefully even better, but it’s a different scenario for me right now than it was one year ago.

It’s different emotions that I need to manage and I need to obviously try to keep playing like I’m playing and hopefully I have a couple of good tournaments left in me.”

Tauson has been in touching distance of the top 10 of the WTA Rankings in 2025 and now her target is to break into that elite list.

“It’s all about beating the players in the lower ranks consistently as well as beating the top players because the levels in tennis now are so high,” she continued.

“Every player in the top 100 can do anything, so it’s all about the kind of day you are having. That’s why we see so many unknown players coming through each week and going far in tournaments.

“You never know what might happen, whoever you are playing. Some people can have a bad day, some people can have a good day. It’s all about how you manage the day you’re having. Everyone can have their golden week. It’s all about having the five or six weeks of consistency in a row. That’s what’s important.

“I guess getting into the top 10 for next year has to be my target now, but just staying in this ranking range is amazing for me.

“This time last year, I think I was like No 80 in the world, so it is obviously a much, much better year. There are still some areas to improve, but it has been an amazing year for me.”

Danish tennis is enjoying a boom period with Tauson and Holger Rune raising the profile of the sport in a country not noted for tennis success and she hopes there is much more to come.

“We did it all by ourselves to get this far,” she said her success alongside Rune in the last couple of years.

“Hopefully it can help other Danish players in the future and we are already seeing that now, I think.

“It’s great for the people back home to see that I could actually do it after five years on the tour.”

Tauson is the No 10 seed in Wuhan and will take on Olga Danilovic in her opening match.

READ NEXT: Clara Tauson’s emotional win – ‘Two days ago, my grandfather unfortunately passed away’

The post Clara Tauson exclusive – How it feels to beat Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu admits she found it hard to come to terms with agonising defeats in her last two tournaments, as she failed to convert three match points in her defeats against Barbora Krejcikova and Jessica Pegula.

The British No 1 turned in two of her best performances of 2025 in the opening two sets of the matches against Krejcikova and Pegula, before fading badly in the third set of both.

Responding to questions from Tennis365 at the Dongfeng · Voyah Wuhan Open, Raducanu conceded that while the defeats were hard to accept, she found plenty of silver linings ahead of playing in her final W1000 event of the year.

“I think it was hard for me,” said Raducanu. “The last two matches that I lost, I had match points in both. And it’s not something that’s really happened to me before, and then to happen twice in a week was pretty new, and to get my head around.

“I think the second match, I found it easier to get over than the first, because I know I was playing some better tennis and just improving with my level, and I feel like I didn’t take too long to kind of dwell on it, and just got straight back to work and trying to get ready as best as possible for this week.”

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Raducanu’s serve has been one of her biggest weapons in recent weeks, with the work she has been doing alongside her coach, Francisco Roig, making a big impact.

She also served well in her opening two win at the US Open and it keen to build on that progress in Wuhan.

“I think I was doing things that I wasn’t really doing in the first part of the year,” she stated.

“I think I was also dealing with Jessie’s (Pegula) ball pretty well compared to when we played in Miami. I felt just a lot more competent and composed when I was playing her this time round, which was good for me.

“And I do feel like I’m improving and making progress. I still see the differences in where I want to go, but I know I’m doing good work day to day to try and get there.

“Yeah, I think my serving has been helping me out in some moments, in matches and the first round as well, when I played Cristina (Bucsa), you know, she’s also a player who’s won a lot of matches, and I think just being able to get a free point here and there on the serve makes a big difference. And yeah, I’m happy with just the progress that I’m making.”

Raducanu is feeling at home on her first visit to the Wuhan tournament, with her mother’s Chinese heritage making this a special part of the year.

She is also in Wuhan at a big moment in their year, as the Chinese nation are celebrating Golden Week, a time of the year when families gather to spend time together.

“I’ve driven past a few cool areas,” she added. “There’s a lavender field like right across from the tennis centre, which looks pretty spectacular, the colours and obviously a big national holiday here. So there are a lot of people, but the area where we’re staying is very new, and the buildings are massive. The scale is huge, so it’s quite interesting to see.

“There are two really nice stadiums that I’ve seen so far. The architecture of them are really, really nice and interesting. So it’s pretty nice to be playing in such a unique arena. First time playing here, which is also exciting. I’m still trying to find my way around, but managed in the last couple days and different conditions again to Beijing, so just been trying to adapt.”

READ NEXT: Our ‘real’ WTA tennis rankings revealed – Sabalenka & Swiatek star, Gauff drops, Raducanu climbs

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Aryna Sabalenka has opened up on the online abuse that has come her way as the world’s leading tennis player, as she prepares to return to action at the WTA 1000 event in Wuhan.

Sabalenka took time away from tennis after she clinched her second US Open crown last month, as she spent some time in Greece with her boyfriend, Georgios Frangulis.

Now she is back in China as she looks to continue a remarkable record at one of the most prestigious events on the WTA Tour calendar, as she has won on her last three visits to Wuhan.

Sabalenka is one of the most popular players in tennis and her engaging social media content has earned her a global fanbase of many millions on Instagram and TikTok.

Yet amid the adulation that comes her way, there are also some less positive comments and she admits that is part of the challenge of being a high-profile star.

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“Well, I think all of us go through a lot of hate,” began Sabalenka.

“Throughout my career, I faced a lot of hate and a lot of different hate for different reasons. So I figured that the more you give attention to that, the more it takes energy from you.

“I feel like it’s better to ignore it, but sometimes, of course, I see those messages, and out of curiosity, I go to the page of the person who messaged me.

“Sometimes I’m shocked. Sometimes there’s like, mothers messaging such terrible things. Sometimes it just you can see the person is doing nothing and commenting on people who is trying to do something in life, who is trying to motivate, inspire next generation.

“I take it as a joke. I feel like they’ve never been in our shoes, and to make such terrible comments. It’s just, it just shows how terrible they are as people. And I think every player should take it as a joke and never, never, ever really go deep into that dark, dark space of social media.”

Sabalenka went on to suggest she will not change her approach to social media despite some negativity, as she admitted she enjoys giving her fans an insight into her world.

“I feel like I’m like an open book right now,” she added. “Sometimes they ask me, what is something that people will be surprised to know about you? And I’m like, they know everything, like literally everything about me!

“I show everything. And, the main reason was that, you know, I look really aggressive on court, and I cannot look at myself, watch myself playing. I feel terrible about myself because I’m super aggressive.

“I felt like and I wanted to be connected with people. I wanted to feel support in the stadiums. I wanted to experience that support, so I felt like I need to share myself.

“I need to show people who, who Aryna is and everything came from there, and that’s why I started to share myself to just to make sure that I can stay connected with people.”

Sabalenka will be defending a remarkable unbeaten record in Wuhan, as she has won all 17 of the matches she has played in the tournament since her debut appearance in 2018.

READ NEXT: Bianca Andreescu interview: Why I needed more guidance after US Open win

The post Aryna Sabalenka reveals she ‘has to deal with a lot of hate’ in honest comments appeared first on Tennis365.

Carlos Alcaraz has been criticised for complaining about the ATP calendar while also taking time to play in lucrative exhibition matches.

The subject of players’ schedules was first brought up by Iga Swiatek but after Alcaraz gave his support, the men’s No.1 has been criticised for double standards.

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When asked about Swiatek’s complaints, Alcaraz agreed with the assessment that too much is being asked of the players and said “they have to do something” when it comes to reorganizing the schedule.

“I agree with Iga,” Alcaraz said after winning the Japan Open. “I think that the schedule is really tight. They have to do something with the schedule. I think there are too many mandatory tournaments, too many in a row.

“They put in some rules that we have to play Masters 1000s, 500 tournaments, whatever it is. But there are too many rules that we as tennis players are not allowed to have a choice if we have to play or not.

“To be honest, I have to consider in the future if I have to skip some mandatory tournaments just to maintain my physical condition and good shape. Obviously it’s more than the physical condition.

“I think mentally it’s really demanding as well, playing so many mandatory tournaments in a row or playing so many tournaments without having days to rest up mentally. I will consider skipping some mandatory tournaments to the benefit of myself mentally. I agree with Iga and I think a lot of players are going to do that.”

But Alcaraz has now been criticized for saying one thing and doing another as he has voluntarily signed up for a number of exhibition matches, such as the Saudi Arabian-backed 6 Kings Slam starting this month.

Serena Williams’ former coach Rennae Stubbs said it was hard to take Alcaraz’s complaints seriously when he is opting for more tennis.

“I do think it’s funny because as much as I love Carlos, it’s like I have recently seen that he is literally signed up for like every exhibition in December,” she said in an episode of her own podcast.

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“Like, it is hard to take them seriously when they’re like, yes, the schedule needs to be smaller so that I can go play exhibitions in the Miami suburbs. Again, not so much critique, it’s just a little inconsistent. Yeah, that just makes me, that’s what makes me laugh.”

Another voice from the tennis world who found little sympathy for Swiatek and Alcaraz was Novak Djokovic who suggested there was not enough unity from players to ever create change.

“The monopoly that has been created in this sport has been very strong for the last, you know, three, four decades,” he said. “And there are people who just don’t want to change things in our sport, you know, for the better, in terms of when it comes to the players’ welfare. You know, because everybody works in their own interest. And that’s logical, I guess, business sense.

“In the end, as a player and someone that has been playing on the highest level for more than 20 years, I can say that the players are not united enough. Players are not participating enough when they should be. So they make the comments and they complain, and then they go away. And then if something is wrong, after a certain amount of time they come back again.

“But you have to invest the time, you have to invest energy yourself, not your agent, not your team, not your parents, not anybody, yourself, to dedicate yourself to understand how the system works, to understand what are the things that can be done to be reversed, to be improved in terms of the players’ interest.

“For that to happen, you need the top players particularly, you know, to sit down, roll up their sleeves, and really care a bit more about participating in understanding all of the hot topic, I would say. Because going out in the media and talking about this and that, okay, it might stir up some energy or some attention. But in the end of the day, it’s not going to change, nothing is going to change, you know? I know it from my personal experience, trust me. So, yeah, it’s quite a complex topic.”

Read next: Jannik Sinner’s own coach says US Open final defeat was ‘unsurprising’

The post Carlos Alcaraz blasted for hypocrisy after calendar complaints – ‘Hard to take them seriously’ appeared first on Tennis365.

The China Open is reaching its closing stages, and there have been plenty of big talking points at the penultimate WTA 1000 event of the 2025 season.

The semi-final line-up is now set and there is a strong American vibe, with third seed Amanda Anisimova taking on defending champion Coco Gauff in the first semi-final, while fifth seed Jessica Pegula prepares to do battle against Czech young gun Linda Noskova.

There have been plenty of movements across the WTA Rankings from the tournament, and here we look at who could be the big winners and losers when the rankings update post-event next Monday.

WTA Top 10 Pre-China Open (September 22, 2025)

1) Aryna Sabalenka, 11,225
2) Iga Swiatek, 8,433
3) Coco Gauff, 7,873
4) Amanda Anisimova, 5,109
5) Mirra Andreeva, 4,793
6) Madison Keys, 4,579
7) Jessica Pegula, 4,383
8) Jasmine Paolini, 4,006
9) Zheng Qinwen, 4,003
10) Elena Rybakina, 3,833

World No 1 Sabalenka only had quarter-final points from the 2024 China Open to defend, but, having withdrawn from the event, Swiatek had the chance to gain ground on her rival.

Defending champion Gauff had a staggering 1,000 points to defend, but her position as the world No 3 was secure regardless of her result, with a chunky pre-tournament cushion over Anisimova.

Below the top three, less than 1,300 points separated world No 4 Ansimova and world No 10 Rybakina, with plenty of opportunities for players to gain ground on their rankings rivals.

WTA Live Rankings (post quarter-final matches)

1) Aryna Sabalenka, 11,010
2) Iga Swiatek, 8,533
3) Coco Gauff, 7,263
4) Amanda Anisimova, 5,379
5) Mirra Andreeva, 4,698
6) Jessica Pegula, 4,653 (+1)
7) Madison Keys, 4,459 (-1)
8) Jasmine Paolini, 4,156
9) Elena Rybakina, 3,833 (+1)
10) Zheng Qinwen, 3,678 (-1)

The gap between Sabalenka and Swiatek has decreased slightly but, with Swiatek stunned in the fourth round by Emma Navarro, the Pole has not made up as much ground as she perhaps could have.

A solid run for Pegula has seen her move back above compatriot Keys in the rankings, and she will move above world No 5 Andreeva if she wins her semi-final, while Gauff and Anisimova’s runs cement their top four spots.

After failing to match her semi-final run from 2024, Qinwen drops one place to world No 10.

The big winners

Heading into the semi-final stage, the biggest winner in the WTA Rankings may well be Noskova, with the 26th seed into her first WTA 1000 semi-final.

The Czech is already projected to rise to a new career-high ranking, with the 20-year-old leaping eight places to world No 19 in the live rankings ahead of a semi-final versus Pegula.

Noskova could then rise to 17th if she reaches the final, and 13th if she wins the title.

The woman Noskova beat in Friday’s quarter-final, Sonay Kartal, is also set to soar after her run to a first WTA 1000 quarter-final, jumping 21 places to world No 60 as things stand.

Also set to move up 21 places is fellow quarter-finalist Eva Lys, who is set to crack the top 50 for the first time with a projected leap to world No 45.

While Emma Navarro is up three places to world No 13 after her quarter-final run, a good result in what has been a challenging season for the American.

There is also good news for Emma Raducanu, who — despite a painful loss to Pegula — is set to rise to world No 30, and be ranked inside the top 30 for the first time in over three years.

World No 1 Sabalenka is also arguably a big winner from a rankings perspective, with her lead at the top not significantly dented despite her absence.

World No 3 Gauff and world No 4 Anisimova have both also secured their spots in the WTA Finals thanks to their campaigns.

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The big losers

2024 runner-up Karolina Muchova and 2024 semi-finalist Paula Badosa both suffered early exits this year, and will drop down as a result.

Muchova is projected to drop seven places to world No 22 after falling in round four while Badosa, who has now called time on her season after retiring injured in the third round, will fall five places to world No 23.

Losing 110 points from reaching the fourth round in 2024, Anna Kalinskaya is projected to drop five places to world No 34, while a difficult year for Katie Boulter sees her drop a further seven places to world No 61 as things stand.

This may also prove to be a missed opportunity for Swiatek, who could have moved within striking distance of the world No 1 ranking with a stronger run.

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The post WTA Rankings Winners & Losers China Open: Swiatek misses chance, Pegula surges, Raducanu top 30, Noskova +8 appeared first on Tennis365.

Jannik Sinner’s own coach has said it “isn’t that surprising” that the Italian lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open final and said the Spaniard was “better” in every department.

The two rivals faced off in their third Grand Slam final of the year last month but unusually, the match was rather one-sided with Alcaraz winning via a 3-1 set advantage.

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The meeting at Flushing Meadows was the third time in a row that a men’s Grand Slam final had been contested by Sinner and Alcaraz but it was the most one-sided of the year with the latter winning 21 of the 34 games played.

To see Sinner, who was world No.1 at the time, steamrolled in such dramatic fashion was surprising for many onlookers but not it would seem for his coaching staff.

Simone Vagnozzi, Sinner’s coach, said it came as no great shock, and suggested Alcaraz was better in every department.

“The loss in New York, in my opinion, isn’t that surprising,” he told Corriere dello Sport. “At that point, Carlos was better than Jannik psychologically, physically, and tennis-wise.

“But we mustn’t forget that he too had five difficult months, and today they’re trying to make Jannik look like a player in crisis, in a year in which he won two Grand Slams and reached finals every week.

“He’s doing extraordinary things. Plus, like everyone else, we always want to improve.”

Vagnozzi, who himself was a player from 1999 to 2015, said he was though surprised by the reaction to the defeat, suggesting matches can sometimes be decided by small margins.

“You know, sometimes I’m surprised by how much people talk about certain things,” the 42-year-old Italian said. “Sometimes things work, sometimes less so.

“In the United States, Jannik didn’t serve very well, and we made some adjustments: his movement changed the day before arriving in China.”

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“During the first few days in Beijing, he adapted and then served very well. Then, it’s clear that something new always needs to be added to the game, otherwise we become predictable. This doesn’t mean Sinner has to become a serve-and-volley player.

“There are drop shots and slices, but also other variations, whether it’s taking a down-the-line first, returning more aggressively, playing a kick, or going to the body. It’s simply about improving; I don’t find anything surprising about it.

“When you’re trying to become number one, it’s different than when you’re already there and have to do something to stay there. Some changes can seem riskier because you think you might lose something. Jannik is smart enough to understand whether our proposals are right or wrong.

“At the same time, we have to work on ideas he believes in, otherwise it won’t work. And sometimes even losing a match helps a player understand that it might be time to make some changes.”

Read next: Coco Gauff leaves former world No 3 ‘surprised’ with coaching choice as service struggles addressed

 

 

 

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Alex Eala’s Suzhou Open campaign is over, with the tennis trailblazer suffering a painful defeat to Viktorija Golubic at the WTA 125 event in China.

After battling wins in her opening two matches, the 20-year-old so nearly pulled off another gritty three-set win, though she missed two match points in a 2-6, 6-2, 7-6(0) to her experienced Swiss opponent.

However, there is still good news for Eala, who is now set to reach a new career-high on the WTA Rankings, and who looks set to bounce back across a busy Asian swing spell. Here, we look at Eala’s expected schedule for the rest of 2025.

Wuhan Open (October 6-12)

After her loss in Suzhou, Eala faces a quick turnaround to head to Wuhan for the Wuhan Open, the final WTA 1000 event of the 2025 WTA season.

The 20-year-old received a wildcard into the draw back in 2024 but will contest qualifying in 2025, with two wins needed for the Filipina to enter the main draw.

The main draw of the event is headlined by the return of defending champion and world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, with Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff also in action.

Japan Open (October 13-19)

After action in Wuhan, Eala is currently set to head to Osaka for the Japan Open, a WTA 250 event.

Eala did not play the event in 2024 but was in action at the 2023 edition, coming through qualifying to reach the main draw, falling to fellow qualifier Himeno Sakatsume in round one.

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The Filipina joins the likes of tennis great and home favourite Naomi Osaka, Elise Mertens, Iva Jovic, and Lois Boisson in the field at the tournament.

Guangzhou Open (October 20-26)

Following action in Osaka, Eala is then set to head to the Guangzhou Open in China, the second of three WTA 250-level events she is set to contest across the remainder of the Asian swing.

It will be the third straight year in which the Filipina has competed in Guangzhou, having come through qualifying to reach the main draw in both 2023 and 2024.

However, thanks to her rise up the WTA Rankings in recent months, Eala is set to enter the main draw automatically and is in line to be seeded as things stand.

Hong Kong Tennis Open (October 27 – November 2)

As things stand, Eala is currently set to end her WTA season at the Hong Kong Tennis Open, an event taking place in the penultimate week of the WTA Tour in 2025.

It will be the Filipina’s first appearance at the event, having not played in the event’s return to the calendar in 2023 or 2024.

The official entry list is not out but Eala is one of four players confirmed for the tournament so far, alongside Naomi Osaka, Daria Kasatkina, and Ajla Tomljanovic.

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The post Alex Eala schedule: What events will rising star play next after Suzhou Open exit? appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic has revealed that he doesn’t “make plans long-term anymore” as he discussed his plans for the rest of the 2025 season.

World No 5 Djokovic is back in action at the Shanghai Masters this week, with the tennis great playing his opening match against long-time rival Marin Cilic on Friday at the Masters 1000 event.

The Serbian is making his first appearance on tour since his US Open semi-final defeat to Carlos Alcaraz earlier in September, and his Shanghai campaign came as somewhat of a surprise, with the 38-year-old not initially appearing on the tournament’s promotional poster.

Djokovic was a runner-up to Jannik Sinner at the tournament twelve months ago, and holds a record four titles in Shanghai.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion has spoken openly in recent seasons about his plans to prioritise the tournament’s largest events, spending more time away from the sport with his family and resting his body.

Djokovic reached the semi-final of all four Grand Slam tournaments in 2025 and won his 100th career title in Geneva, in what has arguably been a more consistent season than his 2024 campaign.

With 4,190 points won already this season, the 38-year-old is well-placed to qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin, an event where he has won a record seven titles across his career.

However, after winning back-to-back titles at the year-end championships in 2022 and 2023, Djokovic did not play the event in 2024 despite qualifying.

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And, it is possible that the Serbian could once again choose to skip the event in 2025.

Asked about his plans following the conclusion of Shanghai, the former world No 1 admitted he was undecided about the ATP Finals, and that the Hellenic Championships in Athens was the only event he was officially committed to playing.

“You asked me about Turin,” said Djokovic.

“Yeah, it is a tournament where I had quite a bit of success in the last years, I won it two times, and, you know, hopefully I can be back, let’s see.

“I don’t make plans long-term anymore. I’ve said that, I said that in New York [the US Open].

“So after Shanghai, the only tournament I know I’m going to play is the one in Athens, and then let’s see if I play Turin or not, I’m not sure yet.”

Djokovic’s comments all but confirm that he will not be in action at the Paris Indoors, the final Masters 1000 event of the 2025 season — where he has a record seven titles to his name.

Action at the Hellenic Championships in Athens, which has taken over the event previously held in the Serbian capital of Belgrade, will take place in early November, the week after Paris and the week before the ATP Finals in Turin.

Djokovic and his family, wife Jelena and children Stefan and Tara, are now living in Athens, with the 38-year-old set to use the Greek capital as his long-term base once he retires from tennis.

The Serbian’s family have not travelled to Shanghai, though Djokovic revealed that his wife and children remain his key supporters from afar.

He added: “Well my son, he plays tennis more and so he follows what’s going on. He was really insisting on traveling with me to China.

“He wants to travel with me everywhere, but he has to do school, and it’s not that simple. But he’s really in love with tennis and the sport.

“My kids and my wife are, you know, my biggest supporters, and obviously when they are in the stadium you’ve seen them, how they support, how passionately they care about and play with me every single point.

“So, of course, me seeing them on the stands, you know, it’s even more inspirational. I love to have them. But at the same time, you know, the kids cannot live daddy’s life, they have to live their own life.

“I try to support them and be there for them. Whether they feel like I have, yeah, they believe in me. They feel like, you know, they look at me as the best always.

“And so they, when I’m kind of down on myself, they remind me of the things that I have accomplished and why they still believe that I can do it. So their support is very meaningful to me.”

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Novak Djokovic has asserted that players “are not united enough” and called for top stars to take a more active role in pushing change after the recent complaints about the tennis schedule.

In the last week, Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff all expressed criticism about the length of the tennis season and number of tournaments players are expected to compete in.

In his pre-tournament press conference at the Shanghai Masters, Djokovic was asked if he agreed with the dissent from his fellow players.

Here is the full 658-word monologue that Djokovic delivered on the topic.

DJOKOVIC: Okay. Well, I was personally against the extension of the days of duration of the Masters 1000 events, right? I felt from the very beginning I was against it. Actually, even when I was in the council, I think I was at the time president of the council, so I was not supportive of that. I think for the players it’s not good.

From one perspective you could say, I mean, for me at my age right now, to have the days between the tournaments is good. But I think overall, for most of the players, it just takes away the days in the schedule, in the calendar. Personally, I’m not supportive of that. I understand that there is upside to the tournaments and so forth, but as a player I never liked that.

So I do empathise or sympathise with players who are against that, because now they are realising, I guess, that it’s not really great. But at the same time, look, you know, you always have, it’s an individual sport, so there are choices to be made. In the end of the day, you can still make choices. I see some players maybe say there are rules imposed and etcetera. But there are rules imposed for bonus. So you can miss the bonus, but it’s the choice that you are willing to make if you want to play less. But then there are exhibitions as well that players are signing up for, so it’s a little bit contradictory.

Yeah, I guess I’ve been talking about this topic for so many years, you know, this is not first time. And people who know me and know my press conferences and my time in the council, they know that more than 15 years ago I was talking about us needing to come together and reorganise the schedule and the calendar. Even way before the 30-year deal plan came to realisation with Masters events.

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But, you know, it’s a very long topic, so I don’t know where to start, where to finish, to be honest. It’s very complex, it’s not that simple, you know. I don’t want to sound like I’m supportive or not supportive, because there’s different elements that you have to take in consideration.

The monopoly that has been created in this sport has been very strong for the last, you know, three, four decades. And there are people who just don’t want to change things in our sport, you know, for the better, in terms of when it comes to the players’ welfare. You know, because everybody works in their own interest. And that’s logical, I guess, business sense.

In the end, as a player and someone that has been playing on the highest level for more than 20 years, I can say that the players are not united enough. Players are not participating enough when they should be. So they make the comments and they complain, and then they go away. And then if something is wrong, after a certain amount of time they come back again. But you have to invest the time, you have to invest energy yourself, not your agent, not your team, not your parents, not anybody, yourself, to dedicate yourself to understand how the system works, to understand what are the things that can be done to be reversed, to be improved in terms of the players’ interest.

For that to happen, you need the top players particularly, you know, to sit down, roll up their sleeves, and really care a bit more about participating in understanding all of the hot topic, I would say. Because going out in the media and talking about this and that, okay, it might stir up some energy or some attention. But in the end of the day, it’s not going to change, nothing is going to change, you know? I know it from my personal experience, trust me. So, yeah, it’s quite a complex topic.

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