Novak Djokovic faced an unexpected exit from the Shanghai Masters after losing 6-4, 6-3 to Hubert Hurkacz in the second round on Friday. The match lasted 87 minutes, marking a quick turnaround following Djokovic's recent triumph at the China Open, where he secured his 102nd career title.
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Djokovic reflected on the loss, saying, "Beijing was great and a very early exit here but it is ok. I had a great week in Beijing and I look forward to resting a little bit and get ready for the indoors." He highlighted his struggle to break Hurkacz's serve, noting that losing even one service game in each set contributed to his defeat.
Hurkacz, who had won the Shanghai title in 2023, expressed respect for Djokovic, stating, "It’s a pleasure for me to share a court with him, and play such a legend of the sport."
On his 24th birthday, U.S. Open runner-up Ben Shelton advanced after defeating Daniel Altmaier with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (6). Shelton recently participated in the Davis Cup but faced losses in both singles matches following his U.S. Open performance.
Top-seeded Alexander Zverev also moved on, winning against Chinese wild-card entry Wu Yibing 6-4, 7-6 (4), which marked his 30th hard-court victory of the year. Zverev previously beat Shelton in the U.S. Open final.
Britain’s Arthur Fery, a Wimbledon semifinalist this year, was defeated by Karen Khachanov in a closely contested match that ended 7-6 (6), 6-7 (5), 7-6 (2).
Ninth-seeded Alex de Minaur advanced after his opponent, Alex Molcan, retired due to an undisclosed ailment. De Minaur himself had retired with an adductor injury in the China Open final against Djokovic.
Qualifier Rei Sakamoto triumphed over 23rd-seeded Andrey Rublev with a score of 6-4, 6-4. Additionally, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner withdrew from the tournament, announcing a break for the remainder of 2026 due to a right knee injury. Djokovic mentioned plans to reach out to Sinner regarding his injury struggles.