Novak Djokovic ready to compete in Shanghai Masters

Four-time Shanghai Masters champion Novak Djokovic will compete in one of his favorite Masters 1000 events for the first time in five years! With 34 wins from 39 matches and four crowns to his name, Novak is the most decorated player in Shanghai, Only two editions between 2009 and 2019 were missing.

After half a decade, the Serb will play in front of his Chinese fans in October, seeking a fifth trophy at the Qi Zhong Stadium. Novak travels to Shanghai as the Olympic singles champion, and will claim an elusive title in Sunday’s final against Carlos Alcaraz.

Djokovic is the world number 2 behind Jannik Sinner and will have to defend 3000 ATP points in Cincinnati and New York to stay in touch with his young rivals. Novak, however, has fulfilled his dream after the Olympic Games in Paris and will be able to compete without any pressure at the end of the season.

Djokovic will be chasing his 100th ATP title at the upcoming events, possibly in Shanghai, where he has enjoyed so much success in the past.

Novak ended his first two campaigns in Shanghai in the semifinals, losing to Nikolay Davydenko and Roger Federer.

Djokovic defeated Andy Murray in that epic 2012 final, holding off five match points to lift his first Shanghai Masters trophy. Novak defended the title in 2013, beating Juan Martin del Potro in the final, before falling to Roger Federer in the semi-finals a year later.

The Serb did not lose a single set in Shanghai in 2015, adding his third title to his list of achievements. In 2016, he reached his seventh consecutive semi-final. Roberto Bautista Agut defeated Djokovic in the semi-final, and the Serb skipped Shanghai in 2017.

The crowd favourite bounced back stronger in 2018, beating five rivals in straight sets to celebrate his fourth Shanghai Masters crown. Novak defeated Alexander Zverev in his 1000th ATP match in the semi-finals to set up the title clash with Borna Coric.

The Serb defeated the Croat 6-3, 6-4 in an hour and 36 minutes to celebrate his 32nd Masters 1000 title, having gone on a 39-4 streak since Rome in May.

Novak Djokovic will compete in Shanghai for the first time since 2019.

Novak set the pace in his 400th Masters 1000 match, dominating Borna from the baseline.

Coric defeated Federer in the semi-finals and could not repeat that against an in-form Djokovic. Novak lost nine points in his games and defended the only break chance that Borna had. The Croat felt the pressure in his games, losing 40% of the points and losing his serve once in each set.

Djokovic landed 18 winners and 17 unforced errors, while he welcomed 38 unforced errors from his opponent. Novak had the upper hand in the fastest exchanges up to four strokes and dominated the mid-range exchanges, winning 27 of the 40 points in that area.

Djokovic was chasing his fifth Shanghai title in 2019, beating Denis Shapovalov and John Isner for a place in the quarterfinals. Novak met Stefanos Tsitsipas and suffered a 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 defeat in two hours and two minutes, failing to reach the semifinals of this event for the first time.

Stefanos defeated Novak for the second time in three meetings, lifting him from the middle of the first set to reach the semi-finals of the Masters 1000 for the fourth time.

The young Greek faced just one break point, losing the opening set before taking two breaks in the second and third sets en route to a remarkable victory after a high-quality duel. Tsitsipas hit 34 winning serves and 22 unreturned, with Djokovic following suit.

The Greek took two more points, triumphing in the crucial moments and going over the top. Stefanos went for his shots and outplayed Novak in the quickest and medium rallies to seal the deal. Both players took six points on the return in the opening set.

Djokovic made the difference with an early break in game two after a backhand error from Tsitsipas. The Serb served well in the opening games and took a 3-0 lead in seven minutes! Stefanos served well for the rest of the match and kept the pressure on the four-time winner.

Novak survived the seventh game and decided the set with a hold in game nine after a service winner, moving closer to another semi-final at the Shanghai Masters.

The Greek served well in the second set, dropping nine points in six games and waiting for a chance on the return. The Serb followed the rival’s pace until the 12th game, when he served to stay in the set for the second time.

Djokovic broke under pressure and made a forehand error, losing his serve and allowing Tsitsipas to take the set 7-5 and gain a boost. Stefanos controlled the tempo in the deciding set, serving well and challenging Novak to follow that rhythm.

The Serb missed a forehand in the fourth game, lost his serve and fell 3-1 behind. Tsitsipas served well and had a chance to seal the deal at 5-3. The Greek landed a smash winner in the ninth game, celebrating one of his best wins of his career and ensuring the Serb’s earliest exit from the Shanghai Masters.