NOVAK DJOKOVIC SMASHES ANOTHER RECORD AFTER SHANGHAI OPENING VICTORY
Novak Djokovic beats Marin Čilić at the Shanghai Masters, setting a new ATP record. Read the full match recap, analysis of his historic 20th win over Čilić, and preview his next match against Yannick Hanfmann
On Friday, October 3, Novak Djokovic made a triumphant comeback to the Shanghai Masters, defeating Maren Cilic 7-6 (7-2) 6-4.
The 24-time major champion's most recent appearance in China came one month after he was defeated by Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open semifinals.
The four-time Masters 1000 singles winner Djokovic is aiming to win the competition for the first time since 2018. Last year, he made it to the final before losing to Jannik Sinner.
Early on against Čilić, the Serbian found it tough to handle the humid circumstances, which made it impossible for him to maintain his grip.
The match was close until the first set tie-break in Shanghai, when Čilić's two missed break-point attempts in the eleventh game were the only instances of genuine danger.
Djokovic recovered from dropping the opening point in the tie-break and easily won the necessary seven points to win the first set.
To complete a comeback victory and advance to the round of 32, the 38-year-old then broke early in the second set before holding service and avoiding two more break opportunities in the last game.
Novak Djokovic wins in Shanghai, setting an amazing new record
With his victory over Cilic on Friday, Djokovic defeated the Croatian Grand Slam champion 20 times in 22 ATP Tour encounters.
After Djokovic accomplished the same feat against Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, Tomas Berdych, and Gael Monfils, Cilic is now the seventh man to do it.
The Serbian has won 20 or more ATP Tour matches against more than five different opponents, making him the first player in the Open Era to do so.
With his victory over Cilic on Friday, Djokovic defeated the Croatian Grand Slam champion 20 times in 22 ATP Tour encounters.
After Djokovic accomplished the same feat against Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, Tomas Berdych, and Gael Monfils, Cilic is now the seventh man to do it.
The Serbian has won 20 or more ATP Tour matches against more than five different opponents, making him the first player in the Open Era to do so.
The tennis legend will now aim to have another successful run in Shanghai, beginning on Sunday, October 5, when he plays Yannick Hanfmann in this year's event.
After overcoming a set deficit to defeat Frances Tiafoe of the United States in an unexpected victory on Friday, the German earned a berth in the round of 32.
WHY DID 22 PLAYERS SUDDENLY WITHDRAW FROM THE 2026 ITALIAN OPEN MID-TOURNAMENT?
Discover the full list of injured stars, including Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, forced out of the 2026 Italian Open.
At the 2026 Italian Open, the number of players who have withdrawn or retired during matches has climbed to 22, spanning both the ATP and WTA competitions.
By midweek, 17 players had already exited the combined ATP/WTA 1000 event in Rome. Since then, an additional three men and two women have followed suit.
Before the draws were even announced on Monday, prominent names like Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz, Jack Draper, and Marketa Vondrousova had pulled out. On the opening day of the women’s tournament, Tuesday, Marta Kostyuk and Emma Raducanu also withdrew.
Amanda Anisimova, ranked sixth in the WTA, stepped back before her first match on Thursday due to a left wrist injury. Meanwhile, Victoria Mboko, who is ninth in the world, withdrew before playing on Friday because of a gastrointestinal illness.
Valentin Vacherot, the 16th-ranked player on the ATP tour, pulled out shortly before his scheduled second-round match against Marin Cilic on Friday, citing a foot injury.
Tomas Machac, holding the 41st spot in the men's rankings, also withdrew ahead of his second-round encounter with Daniil Medvedev after an impactful win against Stefanos Tsitsipas in round one.
Arthur Fils, ranked 17th, retired during his opening match against Andrea Pellegrino on Saturday, trailing 0-4, due to hip pain.
Here’s a rundown of the withdrawals on the ATP side: Carlos Alcaraz (No. 2) was replaced by Sebastian Ofner; Taylor Fritz (No. 7) by Zachary Svajda; Valentin Vacherot (No. 16) by Martin Landaluce; Arthur Rinderknech (No. 24) by Aleksandar Kovacevic; Holger Rune (No. 40) by Damir Dzumhur; Gabriel Diallo (No. 46) by Alexander Blockx; Jack Draper (No. 50) by Hamad Medjedovic; Raphael Collignon (No. 68) by Alexandre Muller; Reilly Opelka (No. 74) by Aleksandar Vukic; Arthur Cazaux (No. 73) by Mattia Bellucci; Kamil Majchrzak (No. 76) by Roberto Bautista Agut; and Eliot Spizzirri (No. 92) by James Duckworth.
On the WTA side, Amanda Anisimova (No. 6) was replaced by Elena Gabriela Ruse from Romania; Victoria Mboko (No. 9) by Nikola Bartunkova; Marta Kostyuk (No. 15) by Ajla Tomljanovic; Emma Raducanu (No. 30) by Lilli Tagger; Marketa Vondrousova (No. 44) by Solana Sierra; Sonay Kartal (No. 56) by Zeynep Sonmez; Varvara Gracheva (No. 61) by Eva Lys; and Veronika Kudermetova (No. 70) by Petra Marcinko.
THE "REST OVER REPS" PLAN: WHY JANNIK SINNER IS SNUBBING HALLE FOR WIMBLEDON
After 23 consecutive wins, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner adjusts his schedule to target a Career Grand Slam and Wimbledon glory.
Jannik Sinner has already logged a heavy schedule this year, with deep runs in recent Masters 1000 tournaments keeping him on court against top-tier competition regularly. Given this demanding stretch, he’s taken a fresh look at his calendar and decided to skip the Halle Open, carving out a three-week break between Roland Garros and his Wimbledon title defence.
The 2024 Wimbledon champion won’t be heading to Germany for the grass-court event. That’s notable since Sinner claimed that Wimbledon crown in impressive fashion, overcoming two-time winner Carlos Alcaraz to secure his first major title away from hardcourts. That victory was his latest Grand Slam, following Alcaraz’s wins at the previous two majors.
After Roland Garros, where he seeks to complete the career Grand Slam, Sinner plans to recharge rather than pile on more tournaments before Wimbledon. Without Alcaraz in sight, he’s considered a favourite to maintain his remarkable run. His recent haul includes titles at Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and, most recently, Madrid. Now, he’s setting his sights on Rome, his home turf, where he’s never clinched a win but is eager to continue an ambitious streak of Masters 1000 victories, aiming for a sixth in a row.
Post-Rome, he’ll take a week off before the French Open begins. In total, Sinner has played 23 matches over the last two months without tasting defeat. If he wants to lift the Rome trophy, he’ll need to notch six more wins, then potentially battle through seven more rounds in Paris. This demanding schedule partly explains his choice to forgo Halle.
As for the 2026 Halle Open, fans might be disappointed not to see the world number one, but the field remains strong. Heading the draw is Alexander Zverev, a local favourite who has yet to claim a grass-court title or even one on home soil. With Sinner out, this could be a prime opportunity for Zverev to break through.
The American players are also well represented. The U.S. hasn’t seen a finalist here since Mardy Fish in 2004, but Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton might be poised to change that, especially Fritz, who has already shown grass prowess with titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne last year.
Defending champion Alexander Bublik, who ousted Sinner on his way to victory and took down Daniil Medvedev in the final, will be back aiming to repeat. Alongside him, names like Andrey Rublev, Flavio Cobolli, and Frances Tiafoe are also set to compete. The tournament runs from June 15 to 21, promising plenty of exciting tennis.
