Six times in his career Novak opened his Asian hard-court swing in Beijing.
The world no.1 has won the ATP 500 tournament on all six occasions he has entered, and has a 29-0 lifetime record in China Open matches.
In a break with tradition the Serbian star announced that this year he will make his debut at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships.
The longest-running ATP Tour tournament in Asia, first held in 1972, is taking place in Tokyo from September 30 to October 6.
The ATP 500 event is played at the Ariake Colosseum, an expansive tennis centre comprising 48 courts and a stadium with one of the first retractable roofs in tennis.
