World No 1 and three-time champion of the Shanghai Rolex Masters, Novak Djokovic, heads a star-studded lineup of players for the tournament's milestone eighth anniversary to be played at the city's Qi Zhong Stadium from Oct 9-16.

He withdrew from the China Open, where he would have been defending his title, because of an elbow injury. The 29-year-old said he is "extremely disappointed" to be missing the tournament in Beijing, where he has won four consecutive titles and has 29 victories in a row.

"I will continue with my rehabilitation and hope to be able to return to the ATP Tour as soon as possible," he said.