NOVAK DJOKOVIC BEATS INJURY TO BREAK FEDERER’S LONG RECORD
Novak Djokovic makes history at the Shanghai Masters, becoming the oldest quarter-finalist ever. Read how he overcame an ankle injury to beat Jaume Munar and break Roger Federer's long-standing record.
Novak Djokovic has advanced to the Shanghai Masters quarterfinals after overcoming several injury worries against Jaume Munar.
During Tuesday's three-set triumph, the Serbian needed to have his ankle treated.
But Djokovic managed to move to the last eight in China with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 victory.
By doing this, he has broken a previous record that was held by Roger Federer, another tennis legend.
Since the ATP Masters 1000 format began in 1990, the 24-time Grand Slam champion has become the oldest player to advance to the quarterfinals.
With his victory over Munar of Spain, Djokovic accomplished the feat at the age of 38 years and 133 days.
The previous record, which Federer also achieved in the 2019 Shanghai Masters, was 38 years and 60 days.
At that time, Alexander Zverev, the eventual runner-up, defeated him in the round of eight.
Despite his historic victory in the fourth round, Djokovic had a near-fatal injury scare.
After breaking Munar's serve to take a 3-1 lead in the opening set, the world no. 5 needed a medical timeout.
At the end of the second set, he slumped to the ground, giving the fans still another shock.
However, after being assisted to his chair and having his blood pressure checked, the fourth seed managed to win the match by claiming the decider.
It comes after concerning scenes from Djokovic's match against Yannick Hanfmann in the third round.
After losing the opening set to the world number 150, he overcame "brutal" circumstances to win the next set.
However, Djokovic was seen on camera throwing up twice while enduring temperatures of 30 degrees and 80% humidity.
Before proceeding, he had his ankle checked, but before finishing the first set, he had to summon his trainer once more.
Throughout the match, Djokovic struggled to overcome the discomfort barrier, as evidenced by his wincing and gripping his ankle.
When is Djokovic's next match?
As a reward for defeating Munar, Djokovic will play Zizou Bergs of Belgium in the round of eight on Wednesday.
In the semi-finals, the victor will play either Tallon Griekspoor, Valentin Vacherot, or Holger Rune.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC LANDS IN ATHENS AFTER HISTORIC AUSTRALIAN OPEN RUNNER-UP FINISH
After a historic loss to Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic returns to his family in Athens to reset for the 2026 tennis season.
After losing his first Australian Open final to Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic just wanted to see his family.
Djokovic landed in Athens on Tuesday, wrapping up two weeks away from home and marking his 38th appearance in a major final.
For the first time ever, Novak walked away from Rod Laver Arena with the runner-up trophy. At 36, he became the oldest finalist in Australian Open history, but Alcaraz stopped him in four sets: 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-5. The match lasted just over three hours.
This was Djokovic's first tournament in more than two months, and even so, he showed why people call him a legend. He cruised through the first three rounds and reached the last 16 without much fuss.
In the fourth round, Jakub Mensik had to pull out with an abdominal injury, so Novak got a walkover and saved some energy for the big matches ahead. But things nearly fell apart a few days later. Lorenzo Musetti took the first two sets in their quarterfinal, and for a moment, Djokovic looked like he might be headed home early. Then, out of nowhere, Musetti retired in the third set, and suddenly Novak was through to his 13th Australian Open semi-final.
Next up was Jannik Sinner, the two-time defending champ. Djokovic had to dig deep. Twice he came back from a set down and eventually won 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 after more than four hours on court. He fought off 16 out of 18 break points and weathered over 70 winners from Sinner, proving that belief really does go a long way. At 36, he marched into his 38th major final.
Djokovic left everything on court against Alcaraz. He started strong, but the Spaniard found his rhythm and took control in the second and third sets, racking up five breaks. In the fourth, Novak saved six break points early on and kept pace, even earning a break chance at 4-all. Then he missed a forehand he’d usually make, and just like that, his shot at a fifth set slipped away.
Alcaraz broke late in the set and sealed the win, handing Djokovic his first-ever loss in an Australian Open final. Now, Novak’s taking some time off to be with his family. He’s expected back on court soon, probably in Doha, but right now, only he knows how his schedule will look.
WHO IS SAMUEL LOPEZ? MEET THE COACH BEHIND CARLOS ALCARAZ’S 2026 AUSTRALIAN OPEN GLORY
Discover the touching moment Carlos Alcaraz saw coach Samuel Lopez receive a trophy after his Australian Open victory.
Carlos Alcaraz just pulled off something huge—he beat Novak Djokovic in four sets (2:6, 6:2, 6:3, 7:5) to win the Australian Open. With this win, he joins the legends of the Open era, becoming one of the rare players to snag at least one title at all four Grand Slams.
Here’s the wild part: Alcaraz is just 22. Actually, he turns 23 on May 5, so he’s still got plenty of time. This marks his seventh Grand Slam title already. For a bit of perspective, Djokovic had only one Grand Slam trophy at Alcaraz’s age.
Since he’d never won the Australian Open before, Alcaraz didn’t really know the drill for the trophy ceremony. His coach, Samuel Lopez, got a trophy too, which caught Carlos off guard—in a good way. Their partnership has clearly paid off.
Talking to the media, Alcaraz said he loved that coaches get recognised with their own trophy. He hadn’t seen that before and thought it was a fantastic idea, since a champion’s journey isn’t a solo effort. Watching Samuel Lopez get his moment meant a lot to him. “It’s wonderful, and when I saw him there, I was so happy because I know Samuel has been working toward this moment his whole life. For me, he’s one of the best coaches—if not the best—you can have on a tennis court today. For me, it was a magical and incredibly special moment: hugging him after the last point and also seeing him there, with everyone recognising what he deserves,” Alcaraz said.
Not everyone was convinced after Alcaraz split with long-time coach Juan Carlos Ferrero and started working with Lopez. Some experts doubted whether he could keep dominating the tour this year. But after Melbourne, it looks like Alcaraz isn’t going anywhere. Even without Ferrero, he’s still leading the pack.
With three more Grand Slams coming up this season, it’s shaping up to be a wild ride. You get the feeling that we’ll be watching Alcaraz and Sinner battling for the biggest prizes all year long.