Novak Djokovic’s run of strong form in Beijing came to an abrupt halt in Shanghai on Friday, where the Serbian was eliminated in his opening match at the Masters 1000 tournament. Just three days after winning his 102nd career title, the world No. 8 lost 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, ranked 34th.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion is still seeking one of the eight places at the ATP Finals in Turin, which will take place from November 15 to 22. But, as in his first matches in Beijing, Djokovic appeared to be struggling physically.
At 39, the former world No. 1 has become more selective with his schedule since the start of the 2025 season, managing his workload in a bid to give himself the best chance of winning a record 25th Grand Slam title.
Djokovic fought hard in the opening set but faded late in the match. After Hurkacz broke his serve to lead 2-1 in the second set, the Serbian struggled to turn the contest around and eventually bowed out in straight sets.
The draw had handed Djokovic a difficult opening test. Hurkacz had reached the final of the Chengdu ATP 250 in September before making the semifinals of the Beijing ATP 500, where he retired with a left thigh injury.
The 2023 Shanghai Masters champion showed few signs of discomfort in his movement on Friday. He will face either Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti, ranked 25th, or China’s Zhou Yi, ranked 277th, in the third round.
Djokovic is expected to return at the Paris Masters from November 2 to 8, a tournament he has won seven times.
He currently sits ninth in the ATP Race, the season-long ranking that determines the eight players who qualify for the ATP Finals.
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, who has already secured his place in Turin, announced on Tuesday that a right knee injury would prevent him from playing again in 2026. His withdrawal means ninth place in the ATP Race could now be enough to qualify for the season-ending tournament.
However, 11 players are still in contention to overtake Djokovic in Shanghai, leaving his place at the ATP Finals far from secure.
