Novak Djokovic, the Serbian star, fought through lingering left ankle pain, Shanghai's stifling humidity, and the challenge posed by Spanish youngster Jaume Munar to reach the Shanghai Masters quarterfinals for the 11th time in his glittering career on Tuesday.
The 38-year-old received multiple medical timeouts as the match stretched to two hours and 40 minutes, with cold towels on his head during changeovers; humidity reportedly climbed above 82%, and Djokovic vomited at times beside the court and collapsed to the floor after losing the second set before receiving medical attention.
Yet, displaying admirable grit, Djokovic dug deep to edge Munar in a 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 verdict in one of the season's most physical battles.
Comeback in the Decider and Tactical Edge
After dropping the second set, Djokovic seized a decisive error from Munar early in the third to regain momentum, as Munar served at 0-0, 40-15 and sprayed a routine overhead beyond the sideline, gifting the Serb a break and allowing Djokovic to press in the decider, shortening exchanges with more aggression.
He is chasing his 41st Masters 1000 title (a record) and the first since Paris 2023; earlier this year he lost to the rising Czech Jakub Mensek in Miami, and the seven-time ATP Finals champion sits third in the Turin race with 35 wins and 10 losses this year.
Djokovic has reached the Shanghai quarterfinals in all 11 appearances, lifting the trophy four times, a record; he will meet Belgian Zizou Bergs later.
In the opening round of the day, Zizou Bergs saved two match points to beat Canadian Gabriel Diallo 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 to reach his first Masters quarterfinal.
Bergs is the fifth Belgian to reach the Masters quarterfinals and the second in Shanghai after David Goffin (2016, 2024). He has risen six spots to No. 38 and is expected to reach his career-best ranking on Monday, continuing his pursuit.
Bergs, who collapsed on the court after reaching the quarterfinals, said: "This means a lot and maybe you saw that in my reaction; it's truly amazing, and I feel my path is changing, my progress is accelerating. I'm 26 and consistently reaching my career-best ranking. I know it won't always be uphill, and I've had setbacks this year, but I am genuinely curious to see where my potential will take me."
Denmark's Holger Rune moved a step closer to his first Masters title in almost three years after defeating the French power server Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-4, 6-7, 6-3.
The Dane, whose sole Masters title came in Paris in 2022, had to stay patient against Perricard, winning just 27% of points on the Frenchman’s serve, but he struck two decisive breaks in the match to advance after two hours and 30 minutes, and now leads their head-to-head 2-1.
Rune, speaking to the ATP Tour site, said: "I managed to break his serve twice; he served well today, and he showed his level against Fritz. He’s a tough opponent on this surface, the conditions were a little better today, I’m very pleased with my mindset, I stayed in every point and felt some frustration after losing the second set, but I returned strong in the third and kept my composure."
Rune’s best Masters result in 2025 came at Indian Wells, where he finished runner-up to Jack Draper in the final, and he currently sits 12th in the Turin race, trailing Lorenzo Musetti by 945 points for eighth. A Shanghai title would lift him to around 3,290 points and likely secure him a second appearance in the ATP Finals after a group-stage exit in 2023.
Rune added: "I managed to break his serve twice; he served well today, and he showed his level against Fritz; it’s tough to beat him on this surface. The conditions were a bit better today, and I’m very happy with my mindset."
Caption: Djokovic’s Shanghai run presses on, even as the humidity fights back.
Punchline: If humidity were a rival, Djokovic would have declared it a no-contest—he’s given sweat science a new meaning. Punchline 2: In Shanghai, the towel is mightier than the racket, and today it served as a tiny lifeboat for a player navigating a sea of humidity.
