Shanghai [China], October 10 (ANI): Novak Djokovic's bid to close in on Roger Federer's career ATP title record suffered a setback as the Serbian great crashed out of the Shanghai Masters 2026 in the second round, losing 4-6, 3-6 to Poland's Hubert Hurkacz on Friday.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion, who arrived in Shanghai on the back of his 102nd tour-level title at the China Open in Beijing, struggled to counter Hurkacz's powerful serve and precise baseline game in an 87-minute contest, according to Olympics.com.
The defeat ended Djokovic's hopes of building on his Beijing triumph at a tournament he has won four times. The 39-year-old had defeated Australia's Alex de Minaur in Tuesday's final in Beijing to move within one title of Federer's 103 career ATP titles.
Hurkacz, meanwhile, produced a commanding performance to register his first victory over Djokovic in nine meetings. The Pole won 82 per cent of points behind his first serve, according to Infosys ATP Stats, and maintained control for much of the encounter.
Djokovic faced pressure early in the match, with Hurkacz saving two break points in the third game before settling into his rhythm. The Serbian was unable to find a consistent response to his opponent's serve and power, eventually conceding both sets.
Reflecting on his early exit, Djokovic acknowledged the difficulty of returning against the Pole while pointing to the contrast between his successful week in Beijing and his performance in Shanghai.
"Beijing was great and a very early exit here but it is OK," Djokovic told the media, as per Olympics.com. "I had a great week in Beijing and I look forward to resting a little bit and get ready for the indoors."
Explaining the challenge posed by Hurkacz's serve, he added, "If you lose your serve, it is enough to lose the match, once per set, and that is what happened. It is very difficult to return his serve, almost impossible. So yeah, I did not adjust and it was a really tough draw for me, playing him in the first match."
Djokovic will now turn his attention to the European indoor season, with the Paris Masters scheduled from November 2 to 8 as his next planned tournament. He also remains in contention to qualify for the season-ending ATP Finals, having reached ninth place in the live race to Turin.
Hurkacz, who won the Shanghai title in 2023, extended his winning streak at the tournament to eight matches and will next face either Italy's Lorenzo Musetti or China's Zhou Yi in the third round.
The loss brings an abrupt end to Djokovic's Shanghai campaign after his title-winning run in Beijing, with the Serbian now looking to regain momentum ahead of the final stretch of the season. (ANI)
Djokovic suffers shock Shanghai Masters exit after Hurkacz defeat, turns focus to Paris
