SHANGHAI (AP) — Novak Djokovic faced a surprising defeat at the Shanghai Masters, where he lost in straight sets to Hubert Hurkacz. The 24-time Grand Slam champion was defeated 6-4, 6-3 in a second-round match that lasted 87 minutes. This result comes just after his triumph at the China Open earlier in the week, marking his 102nd career title.
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"Beijing was great and a very early exit here but it is ok," Djokovic said following the match. He acknowledged that losing his serve even once per set contributed to the loss. "It is very difficult to return his serve, almost impossible. I did not adjust, and it was a really tough draw for me, playing him in the first match."
Meanwhile, 24-year-old Ben Shelton celebrated his birthday by progressing in the tournament with a 6-3, 7-6 (6) victory over Daniel Altmaier. Alexander Zverev, the top seed, also advanced, defeating Chinese wild-card entry Wu Yibing 6-4, 7-6 (4). This win marked Zverev's 30th hard-court victory of the year.
Hurkacz, who won the Shanghai title in 2023, expressed his admiration for Djokovic, stating, "It’s a pleasure for me to share a court with him, and play such a legend of the sport."
In other matches, Arthur Fery from Britain lost to Karen Khachanov in a closely contested match, 7-6 (6), 6-7 (5), 7-6 (2). Ninth-seeded Alex de Minaur advanced thanks to a walkover when his opponent Alex Molcan retired with an undisclosed ailment. De Minaur had to retire from the China Open final against Djokovic due to an adductor injury.
Qualifier Rei Sakamoto defeated 23rd-seeded Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-4. Additionally, Jannik Sinner, the world number one, withdrew from the tournament, announcing he plans to take the remainder of 2026 off due to a right knee injury. Djokovic indicated he would reach out to Sinner regarding his injury-plagued season.