Shanghai
Djokovic stomachs the strain, holds off Hanfmann in Shanghai
Serbian units Munar conflict in fourth spherical at ATP Masters 1000 occasion
October 05, 2025
Hu Chengwei/Getty Pictures
Novak Djokovic is making his eleventh look on the Rolex Shanghai Masters.
By Jerome Coombe
Novak Djokovic survived an evening of hazard and discomfort on Sunday night on the Rolex Shanghai Masters, battling via sickness and impressed opposition to outlast German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann 4-6, 7-5, 6-3.
The document four-time champion was outplayed for a lot of his third-round conflict with Hanfmann, however he dug deep late on, drawing vitality from the group to maintain his title pursuit alive. Together with his two-hour, 45-minute victory — his second-longest best-of-three-set match in 2025 — Djokovic set a fourth-round assembly with Spain’s Jaume Munar.
What’s that sound? 📣 Oh simply Novak with yet one more win 😌
He defeats Hanfmann 4-6 7-5 6-3🔥@SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/ZeRYkcQh1i
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 5, 2025
“It is the identical for each participant out on the court docket, however it’s brutal,” Djokovic stated of the Shanghai situations. “It is brutal when you could have over 80 per cent of humidity day after day, significantly for the blokes once they’re enjoying through the day with warmth, with solar, it is much more brutal.
“For me, biologically it’s kind of more difficult to cope with it. However I needed to actually climate the storm as we speak. Yannick performed an unbelievable match from the start.”
After falling sufferer to Hanfmann’s selection and booming serve within the first set — the place the German fired 4 consecutive aces — Djokovic confronted extra challenges within the second set. The 38-year-old appeared to vomit throughout a changeover and started shortening the factors in an effort to regain management.
Hanfmann, the No. 150 participant within the PIF ATP Rankings, was aiming to turn out to be the lowest-ranked participant to defeat Djokovic at ATP Masters 1000 degree. Regardless of his aggressive shotmaking, which resulted in 33 winners together with 13 aces, he couldn’t maintain off Djokovic as soon as he discovered his rhythm.
Djokovic’s set-point clincher to degree the match ignited the Shanghai crowd and marked a decisive turning level. The fourth seed secured an early break within the decider and powered via to victory, bettering to 2-0 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head sequence with Hanfmann.
“It is unbelievable to be right here enjoying in entrance of a really passionate crowd. First couple matches, packed stadium, one of many nicest and largest stadiums we’ve got in sports activities,” stated Djokovic, who’s 33-10 document in 2025, in response to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. “So it is beautiful, truthfully, I can’t ask for extra. I am grinding for nearly three hours, third spherical of a Masters at 38 with the complete stadium cheering my title. It is a dream come true for me so I am very grateful.”
Watch Djokovic’s set-point clincher:
The turning level within the first set got here with a heavy dose of luck. Going through a 3rd break level within the third recreation, Djokovic might solely watch as Hanfmann’s mishit forehand floated over his head, prompting nothing greater than a wry smile. But as soon as he weathered an evenly contested second set, Djokovic asserted his dominance to succeed in the spherical of 16 in Shanghai for the eleventh time in as many appearances.
He’ll take a 1-0 Lexus ATP Head2Head lead into Tuesday’s conflict with Munar, who earlier accelerated previous Yoshihito Nishioka 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 to succeed in this stage of a hard-court ATP Masters 1000 occasion for the primary time.
