Novak Djokovic struggled in his first match at the Shanghai Masters 1000, but he defeated Croatian veteran Marin Cilic and qualified for the third round. The Serbian legend – who lifted four trophies in the prestigious Chinese tournament – had played excellent tennis here in the last edition as well, having reached the final thanks to a very brilliant run. He hoped to win another title in the penultimate Masters 1000 of the season, but had to surrender to Jannik Sinner in straight sets.
The former world No.1 had no plans to play this tournament initially, but changed his mind as he realized that he has a better chance of winning in best-of-three sets. The 38-year-old from Belgrade has focused mainly on Grand Slam tournaments again this season and has reached the semifinals in the four Majors of 2025, as well as winning the 100th title of his amazing career on the red clay of Geneva during the spring.
Djokovic struggled
Nole's goal is to get as far as possible in this tournament, despite the conditions being really difficult due to the extreme humidity. Many players have already complained and there has also been some withdrawal in the first days of the tournament.
"I have to admit that the humidity is really crazy," said the 24-time Grand Slam champion during his press conference. "I don't remember such a humid climate in China and I struggle to remember when was the last time I played in such humidity. You must accept these conditions and give your best. I sweated a lot and I'm happy with how I reacted, which is why I hope to continue like this" – he added.
Novak is satisfied with one shot in particular: "I think my serve worked really well today. This shot helped me solve some tricky situations and I made more aces than him, which is unusual when you face a player like Marin. I'm glad I started the tournament with a match like that."
