Four-time former champion and world no.1 returns to action next week in Dubai where he won the ATP World Tour 500 tournament in 2009-11 and 2013. The event takes place at the Aviation Club Tennis Centre (February 22-27).
Novak is a top seed. He will open his 2016 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships campaign against world no.39, Spaniard Tommy Robredo (6-2 H2H).
The 28-year-old Belgrade native could meet either Malek Jaziri (TUN) or Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) in the second round.
His possible opponents in the later stages of the tournament are:
Quarter-finals: Feliciano Lopez (ESP, 6), Lukas Rosol (CZE)
Semi-finals: Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP, 4), Viktor Troicki (SRB, 5)
Final: Stan Wawrinka (SUI, 2), Tomas Berdych (CZE, 3)
Last year Novak lost to Roger Federer in the final (3-6, 5-7).
The Serbian star is making his tenth appearance (34-5 record), aiming for his fifth crown.
Photo: Getty Images
