Novak Djokovic overcame exhaustion and an ankle injury scare to reach the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters on Tuesday, defeating Spain’s Jaume Munar 6-3, 5-7, 6-2.
The hard-fought win keeps the Serbian star on course for a record-extending fifth title in Shanghai, with several top seeds already out of the tournament. The 38-year-old appeared close to collapse when the match went into a decider but found the resolve to break his 28-year-old opponent twice in the final set.
“Thank you, thank you everyone, I love you!” Djokovic shouted in Chinese to the cheering crowd before quickly exiting the court.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion had started strongly, breaking Munar in the fourth game despite battling 84 percent humidity. His troubles began soon after when his left ankle twisted as he sprinted to the net, forcing a medical timeout. Grimacing in pain, Djokovic managed to resume play and held serve.
He required treatment again in the second set as fatigue set in, at one point crouching between rallies and vomiting on court. Despite roaring support from Serbian-flag-waving fans, Munar capitalized on an unforced error to break in the 12th game and level the match.
An exhausted Djokovic collapsed on the court but rose again for a remarkable third-set resurgence, breaking early and sealing victory to the delight of the crowd.
With the win, Djokovic becomes the oldest player ever to reach an ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal and remains the highest-ranked contender left in the Shanghai field.
World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz withdrew to rest, while Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, and Taylor Fritz have all been eliminated. The tournament has been plagued by player withdrawals and injuries amid high humidity and temperatures exceeding 30°C.
Sinner retired on Sunday due to severe cramps, while Denmark’s Holger Rune, who also struggled with the conditions, urged tennis authorities on Tuesday to introduce a heat policy for similar events. Rune advanced to the last eight after defeating France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-4, 6-7 (7/9), 6-3.
Djokovic will next face Belgium’s Zizou Bergs, who outlasted Canada’s Gabriel Diallo in a tight three-set battle, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10/8).
