Tested by Heat, a leg problem and sheer exhaustion, Novak Djokovic described his fourth-round battle against Jaume Munar as a “tough day at the office” at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where the Serbian turned to his deepest reserves to continue.
Pushed to his physical limits in heavy humidity, the Serbian courts vomited on several occasions and fell to the ground after losing the second set, prompting medical support. He routinely sought relief with ice towels during the two-hour, 41-minute clash. Djokovic also took several medical timeouts for a leg problem, but once again summoned his trademark resilience.
After his spirited 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 victory against Spaniard Jaume Munar, Djokovic took to social media to reflect on the physical toll of the match.
“Hard day at the office. Very physically challenging,” Djokovic wrote. “Luckily I have the greatest support in the world. ??. 我爱上海”
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With his victory, Djokovic set a new record. At 38 years and four months, the Serbian is now the oldest ATP Masters 1000 quarter-finalist in history, surpassing Roger Federer’s previous record (38 years, two months), which the Swiss achieved in Shanghai in 2019. Should Djokovic claim a record-extending fifth Shanghai title, he will break his tie with Federer for the most tough tour-level titles in the open era (71).
In the Shanghai quarter-finals for the 11th time in as many appearances, Djokovic will next meet Belgian Zizou Bergers for their first Lexus ATP Head2head meeting. The Belgrade native, seeded fourth, is the highest-ranked player to remain in the draft.
Djokovic is chasing his 41st ATP Masters 1000 title and first since triumphing in Paris in 2023. Currently third in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin, Djokovic has a season record of 34-10, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.
Watch highlights from Djokovic’s hard-fought Shanghai Win vs. Munar
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