Novak Djokovic suffers early Shanghai Masters exit after perfect China Open run

Novak Djokovic’s strong run at the China Open did not continue at the Shanghai Masters, as the Serbian star suffered a surprise second-round defeat on Friday (Oct 9). Hubert Hurkacz beat the former World No. 1 6-4, 6-3 in just 87 minutes to knock him out of the tournament. Djokovic entered the tournament after winning a record seventh China Open title in Beijing, defeating Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals before reaching the final following Daniil Medvedev’s disqualification in their controversial semi-final. The 39-year-old then won the title when Alex de Minaur retired from the final due to an injury while trailing 7-6(3), 0-1.

However, Djokovic was unable to carry that winning form and struggled to find his rhythm against a confident Hurkacz, who combined powerful serving with aggressive baseline play to secure an important victory.

A key moment came in the third game of the opening set, when Hurkacz saved two break points to keep Djokovic at bay. He then built on that advantage with strong serving and accurate groundstrokes, making it difficult for Djokovic to control the rallies.

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Djokovic appeared to lack energy after his busy week in Beijing and struggled to match his opponent’s intensity. Hurkacz won the first set and continued to dominate in the second, completing a straight-sets victory without giving the four-time Shanghai Masters champion a chance to recover.

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Now, Hurkacz will face either Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti or Chinese wild card Zhou Yi in the third round. After ending Djokovic’s campaign, the Polish player will look to continue his run in Shanghai.

For Djokovic, the early exit comes as a disappointment after his title-winning performance in Beijing. While his China Open victory highlighted his quality and experience, the defeat in Shanghai showed how difficult it can be to maintain the same level across consecutive tournaments.