Shanghai
Djokovic stomachs the pressure, holds off Hanfmann in Shanghai
Serbian sets Munar clash in fourth round at ATP Masters 1000 event
October 05, 2025
Hu Chengwei/Getty Images
Novak Djokovic is making his 11th appearance at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.
By Jerome Coombe
Novak Djokovic survived a night of danger and discomfort on Sunday evening at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, battling through illness and inspired opposition to outlast German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.
The record four-time champion was outplayed for much of his third-round clash with Hanfmann, but he dug deep late on, drawing energy from the crowd to keep his title pursuit alive. With his two-hour, 45-minute victory — his second-longest best-of-three-set match in 2025 — Djokovic set a fourth-round meeting with Spain’s Jaume Munar.
What’s that sound? 📣 Oh just Novak with yet another win 😌
He defeats Hanfmann 4-6 7-5 6-3🔥@SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/ZeRYkcQh1i
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 5, 2025
“It’s the same for every player out on the court, but it’s brutal,” Djokovic said of the Shanghai conditions. “It’s brutal when you have over 80 per cent of humidity day after day, particularly for the guys when they’re playing during the day with heat, with sun, it’s even more brutal.
“For me, biologically it’s a bit more challenging to deal with it. But I had to really weather the storm today. Yannick played an incredible match from the beginning.”
After falling victim to Hanfmann’s variety and booming serve in the first set — where the German fired four consecutive aces — Djokovic faced additional challenges in the second set. The 38-year-old appeared to vomit during a changeover and began shortening the points in an effort to regain control.
Hanfmann, the No. 150 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, was aiming to become the lowest-ranked player to defeat Djokovic at ATP Masters 1000 level. Despite his aggressive shotmaking, which resulted in 33 winners including 13 aces, he couldn’t hold off Djokovic once he found his rhythm.
Djokovic’s set-point clincher to level the match ignited the Shanghai crowd and marked a decisive turning point. The fourth seed secured an early break in the decider and powered through to victory, improving to 2-0 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Hanfmann.
Watch Djokovic’s set-point clincher:
The turning point in the first set came with a heavy dose of luck. Facing a third break point in the third game, Djokovic could only watch as Hanfmann’s mishit forehand floated over his head, prompting nothing more than a wry smile. Yet once he weathered an evenly contested second set, Djokovic asserted his dominance to reach the round of 16 in Shanghai for the 11th time in as many appearances.
