Five years proved way too long a time for both Novak Djokovic and his huge legion of Chinese fans to be apart.
The return of the Serbian great to the Rolex Shanghai Masters — a tournament on the ATP Tour where he has consistently performed well — following his last run in 2019, has more than lived up to its billing as the biggest draw at this year’s event.
Every one of Djokovic’s practice sessions at the Qizhong Tennis Center, since his arrival on Tuesday, has been swarmed by fervent fans, so much so that security was drafted in to help him make his way out.