Djokovic: 'Tough day at the office'
Tested by heat, a leg issue and sheer exhaustion, Novak Djokovic described his fourth-round battle against Jaume Munar as a “tough day at the office” at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where the Serbian dug into his deepest reserves to advance.
Pushed to his physical limits in heavy humidity, the Serbian vomited courtside on several occasions and fell to the floor after losing the second set, prompting medical support. He routinely sought relief with ice towels throughout the two-hour, 41-minute clash. Djokovic also took multiple medical timeouts for a leg issue, but again summoned his trademark resilience.
Following his spirited 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 victory against Spaniard Jaume Munar, Djokovic took to social media to reflect on the physical toll of the match.
“Tough day at the office. Very challenging physically,” Djokovic wrote. “Luckily, I have the greatest support in the world. 🫶🏼. 我爱上海”
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With his win, Djokovic set a new record. At 38 years and four months, the Serbian is now the oldest ATP Masters 1000 quarter-finalist in history, surpassing Roger Federer’s previous record (38 years, two months), which the Swiss achieved in 2019 in Shanghai. Should Djokovic claim a record-extending fifth Shanghai title, he will break his tie with Federer for the most hard-court tour-level titles in the Open Era (71).
Into the Shanghai quarter-finals for the 11th time in as many appearances, Djokovic will next meet Belgian Zizou Bergs for their maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting. The Belgrade native, seeded fourth, is the highest-ranked player remaining in the draw.
Djokovic is chasing his 41st ATP Masters 1000 title and first since he triumphed in Paris in 2023. Currently third in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, Djokovic holds a 34-10 season record, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.
Watch Highlights from Djokovic’s hard-fought Shanghai win vs. Munar