Tennis

Djokovic exits Shanghai Masters as birthday-boy Shelton and top-seeded Zverev advance

October 9, 2026

Novak Djokovic’s dominance in Beijing quickly gave way to a surprising exit in Shanghai, where he fell in straight sets to Hubert Hurkacz in their third-round clash. The 24-time Grand Slam champion, fresh off his 102nd career title in the China Open, struggled against Hurkacz’s relentless serve, losing 6-4, 6-3 in just 87 minutes.

Djokovic acknowledged the tough draw, noting his inability to adjust to Hurkacz’s powerful service game, which he called nearly impossible to break. Meanwhile, the tournament saw other notable progressions: U.S.

Open finalist Ben Shelton, celebrating his 24th birthday, advanced past Daniel Altmaier in a tight three-set victory (6-3, 7-6), while top seed Alexander Zverev continued his hard-court dominance with a win over Chinese wildcard Wu Yibing (6-4, 7-6). Zverev’s triumph marked his 30th hard-court victory of the season, reinforcing his status as a clay-to-hard-court specialist.

Arthur Fery, Britain’s Wimbledon semifinalist, fell to Karen Khachanov in a hard-fought three-set match, while Alex de Minaur secured a walkover after his opponent, Alex Molcan, retired due to injury—a setback de Minaur had also faced in the China Open final against Djokovic. Rei Sakamoto, a qualifier, upset 23rd seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets (6-4, 6-4), adding to the tournament’s early surprises.

The field was further shaken by No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner’s withdrawal, citing a knee injury that has plagued him throughout 2023 and prompted him to take the rest of the year off.

Djokovic, who plans to reach out to Sinner regarding his injury struggles, reflected on his own early exit with characteristic composure, focusing on his recent success in Beijing and preparing for the indoor season ahead.