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Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic fought off exhaustion and overcame an ankle injury scare on Tuesday to secure his place in the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters, defeating Spain’s Jaume Munar 6-3, 5-7, 6-2.
The gruelling victory keeps the Serbian star on course for a record-extending fifth title in Shanghai, with many of the tournament’s top seeds already out of contention.
Despite appearing drained and in visible pain, the 38-year-old world number one found a late burst of energy to overpower his opponent—ten years his junior—by breaking him twice in the final set.
After sealing the win, Djokovic addressed the jubilant Chinese crowd in their language, shouting, “Thank you, thank you everyone, I love you!” before swiftly leaving the court.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion started strongly despite the stifling 84 per cent humidity, breaking Munar early in the first set.
However, his momentum faltered when he slipped while rushing the net, twisting his left ankle and requiring an on-court medical timeout. Though grimacing in pain, he returned to hold his serve in the fifth game.
Djokovic’s struggle intensified in the second set, as fatigue set in. He was seen crouching between rallies and even vomited on the court.
The 41st-ranked Munar capitalised on his opponent’s dip in form, breaking in the 12th game to level the match.
The Serbian collapsed on court afterwards, prompting medical assistance, but he soon recovered to mount a stunning third-set comeback.
Djokovic broke Munar’s serve twice in the decider—in the first and seventh games—reigniting the crowd’s support and sealing his spot in the last eight.
With this result, Djokovic becomes the oldest player ever to reach an ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final and the highest-ranked player left in the tournament following withdrawals and upsets that have plagued the event.
World number two Carlos Alcaraz pulled out to rest, while Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, and Taylor Fritz were all eliminated earlier.
Players have struggled with the heat and humidity, which have reached temperatures above 30°C.
Sinner was forced to retire with severe cramps on Sunday, and Denmark’s Holger Rune—who reached the quarter-finals after defeating France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-4, 6-7 (7/9), 6-3—has urged tennis authorities to introduce a heat policy for extreme conditions.
Rune will next face qualifier Valentin Vacherot, who upset the Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor 4-6, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, becoming the lowest-ranked player (world number 204) ever to reach the Shanghai quarter-finals.
Djokovic, meanwhile, will take on Belgium’s Zizou Bergs, who edged out Canada’s Gabriel Diallo in a marathon 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10/8) battle.
