This Year’s Shanghai Masters Has Been A Battle For Survival

Novak Djokovic (photo: ATP Tour video)

SHANGHAI/WASHINGTON, October 7, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

Throughout the first three rounds of the Rolex Shanghai Masters in China’s most populous city, the heat and humidity have become – front and center – the main talking points in the ATP’s penultimate Masters 1000 tournament.

There are have been a large number of retirements, headlined by World No. 2 Jannik Sinner‘s against Tallon Griekspoor during Sunday’s third round. A case of severe cramping that barely allowed the defending champion to walk between points, Sinner appeared to be struggling physically from early on during the match when he jammed his lower leg while stretched out and sliding for a ball on the run.

“This is definitely not the way you want to win,” Griekspoor said after Sinner’s retirement, which occurred after the two competitors had split the first two sets and Griekspoor led 3-2 in the decider. “Brutal conditions here in Shanghai all week already. I thought we were still a little bit lucky to play in the evening without sun, but two hours, 36 minutes on the clock, middle of the third set. Sorry for him, I wish him a speedy recovery.”

In addition to Sinner, World No. 1 and recent Japan Open champion Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from Shanghai following the draw but before he played his first match, citing an ankle injury he suffered in Tokyo. Stefanos Tsitsipas also withdrew before playing with a leg injury. Among the other retirements besides Sinner: Wu Yibing, Terrence Atmane, Hamad Medjedovic, David Goffin, Tomas Machac and Casper Ruud. Plus, World No. 4 Taylor Fritz, a runner-up in Tokyo to Alcaraz, was quite hobbled in losing to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard on Sunday.

Finally, in a featured match Tuesday evening, where the temperature remained at 78º Fahrenheit (25.5 Celsius) after sundown, World No. 5 Novak Djokovic survived the humidity, a touch of sickness and a leg issue to pull out a three-victory over Jaume Munar.

Opportunity abound: Rune, Bergs, Djokovic punch their quarterfinal tickets

With just 16 of the original 96 players remaining in contention, round of 16 play began in the lower-half of the draw at Qi Zhong Tennis Center Tuesday.

World No. 11 Holger Rune, one of three ATP Masters 1000 champions remaining in the draw (along with Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev), advanced over No. 32 seed Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-3, after the pair splitting their previous two meetings. 

The Danish No. 1 Rune is through to his 37th tour-level quarterfinal – first in Shanghai – and now has reached the last eight at six of the nine ATP Masters 1000 events. His lone title at the Masters 1000 level came back in 2022 at Paris.

At a set each Tuesday, Rune broke the French No. 3 Mpetshi Perricard for the second time in the match to go ahead 2-0 and held steady for the remainder of the two-hour, 28-minute round of 16 match.

“I managed to break him twice. He was serving very well today,” Rune said during his on-court interview after improving to 34-20 this season. “He also showed his level against Fritz, he is a tough player to beat on this surface. The conditions were a bit better to play in today. I am very happy with my mindset today. I stayed in there every point and I was a bit frustrated I lost the second set but I came back and was determined for the third set and managed to hold my nerve.”

Later, during his post-match news conference, Rune added: “I refocused very well. I started the third set really strong, very focused. I was fighting for every point, you know, getting back, refocusing again. So very happy with my level and my fight, and I returned very well today.”

In the quarterfinal round, Rune will face 204th-ranked qualifier Valentin Vacherot of Monaco, who upset No. 27 seed Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands, 4-6, 7-6 (1), 6-4, in two hours and 22 minutes in a match that stretched well past midnight local time. Vacherot struck 40 winners – including 13 aces – to 28 unforced errors, won 75 percent (53 of 71) of his first-serve points, saved six of seven break points he faced and converted one of four break points against Griekspoor, which came near the end of the match.

Despite being outpointed 93-91, Vacherot has become the first Monegasque player to reach the quarterfinals of an ATP Masters 1000 event in series history and the lowest-ranked quarterfinalist in tournament history.

Vacherot summed up his feelings in one sentence during his on-court interview: “I’m having the best time of my life right now,” he said.

Meanwhile, 44th-ranked Zizou Bergs of Belgium saved two match points and reached his first ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal after upsetting No. 31 seed Gabriel Diallo of Canada, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (8), in two hours and 48 minutes.

After advancing to the Madrid quarterfinals, Diallo looked to become the third Canadian to reach an ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal on clay and hard courts in the same season after Milos Raonic (2014-16) and Felix Auger-Aliassime (2022). 

However, Bergs had other ideas. After dropping the first set, the Belgian No. 1 rallied to win but not before he recovered from squandering a 4-1 lead in the final set, saving match points in the third-set tie-break at 6-7 and 7-8. He finished with 10 aces, converted three of four break points and outpointed Diallo 68-67.

“It means a lot and you probably saw it in my reaction,” said Bergs, who improved to 29-23 this season after reaching the last eight at the Masters 1000 level for the first time. “It’s quite amazing and I feel like my trajectory is a little different, the speed of my path is different. I’m 26 and I’m reaching continuously my career high. I know it’s not going to be only ups, and I’ve had my downs as well this year, but I’m really curious to see where my potential’s going to bring me.”

In the night session, four-time champion Novak Djokovic reached his 11th Shanghai quarterfinal in as many appearances at the event – but it was anything but easy. The 38-year-old Serbian defeated No. 41 Jaume Munar of Spain, 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, in two hours and 41 minutes to become the oldest ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinalist in history.

En route to his victory, Djokovic took a medical time out, ahead 3-1 in the opening set, to receive treatment on his lower left leg and ankle. It continued to be a source of concern for the 24-time major champion and the highest-remaining seed in Shanghai throughout the remainder of the fourth-round match. He also fought through bouts of sickness and relied upon an ice towel over his head during many of the changeovers as the humidity level reached 82 percent.

However, Djokovic, who converted three of eight break points against Munar, broke the 28-year-old Spaniard in the opening game of the decider and made it a double-break lead at 5-2 before serving out his 34th victory of the season. It was the four-time titlist Djokovic’s 42nd career win in Shanghai. He hit 32 winners to 33 unforced errors and outpointed Munar 91-79 to advance to the quarterfinal round against Bergs.

Djokovic owns ATP Masters 1000 records for most wins (417), titles (40), finals (60) and semifinals (79), while Munar sought his first quarterfinal at the Masters 1000 level.

Tuesday’s Shanghai Masters results

Wednesday’s Shanghai Masters order of play

By the numbers

Valentin Vacherot of Monaco is the second Monegasque player to reach an ATP Masters 1000 round of 16, after his half-brother, Benjamin Balleret, reached the stage at Monte-Carlo in 2006. He is joined in the fourth round by his cousin, Arthur Rinderknech of France, who eliminated World No. 3 Alexander Zverev of Germany in the third round.

“Quotable …”

“I mean, it’s definitely better. Two days ago it was just absolutely brutal. But the other days are not easy either. I feel like you get used to it a little bit. It’s still tough today outside, you still sweat a lot. I’m right here standing in a swimming pool. But, no, I was also explaining, I think as tennis players, it’s obviously not easy, but look at the ball boys and ball girls. They’re doing an amazing job. I really feel sorry for them.

“We get an opportunity to drink during changeovers andthey don’t. I feel really bad for them, but I’m also really happy that nothing is happening to them.”

Zizou Bergs of Belgium, during his post-match news conference on Tuesday, speaking about the Shanghai weather and tournament conditions.