Novak Djokovic announces risky plan immediately after humbling Shanghai Masters loss
Novak Djokovic announces risky plan immediately after humbling Shanghai Masters loss
Yasmin SyedFri, October 9, 2026 at 6:04 PM UTC
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Novak Djokovic suffered an early exit at the Shanghai Masters -Credit:Getty (Getty)Novak Djokovic suffered an early exit at the Shanghai Masters, falling to Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 6-3, and then immediately revealed his plan for the rest of the season
Novak Djokovic has announced he won't take to the court again until next month following his second-round loss at the Shanghai Masters — a risky move given his position in the ATP ranking.
The No. 10 seed arrived riding high on a five-match winning run after securing his 102nd career trophy at the China Open in Beijing on Tuesday. However, the quick schedule change and a challenging matchup proved overwhelming, as Djokovic lost momentum in a 6-4, 6-3 defeat to 2023 champion Hubert Hurkacz — marking the first time he's lost to the Pole.
The Serbian legend received a first-round bye but faced the red-hot Hurkacz, who had recently made the final in Chengdu and the semi-finals in Beijing. It comes as Coco Gauff suddenly withdrew from a tournament after a cheating scandal and "racist" abuse.
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Hurkacz was riding a seven-match winning streak at the Shanghai Masters. After missing the event for three years due to injuries, he defeated James Duckworth in the opening round before knocking out Djokovic in a clash between past titleholders.
The 39-year-old Serbian has now confirmed his next appearance will be at the Paris Masters, scheduled from November 2 to 8.
"I would like to [play the ATP Finals]. I'm planning only to play in Paris or, let's see. Hopefully, I can have a good result there," he said.
The world No. 8 hasn't participated in the season-ending tournament since capturing his seventh title there in 2023. Despite qualifying in both 2024 and 2025, he chose not to compete.
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Djokovic fell to Hubert Hurkacz in the second round, marking his career-first loss to the Pole -Credit:Shi Tang, Getty Images
The ATP Finals welcome the eight players who accumulate the most points throughout the season. With world No. 1 Jannik Sinner wrapping up his campaign prematurely, an additional qualifying spot has become available in Turin.
Following his China Open triumph, Djokovic climbed to ninth in the race — technically sufficient for qualification, though he remains at risk of being overtaken in the weeks ahead.
Considering his limited schedule includes only the Paris Masters, there's a realistic possibility that Djokovic won't accumulate enough points to secure his ATP Finals berth, particularly as competitors continue to battle in Shanghai and plan additional tournaments before year's end.
The 39-year-old had previously expressed uncertainty about participating in the Shanghai Masters. His decision to compete just days after his Beijing victory caught some observers off guard, though Djokovic later clarified that he wanted to maintain his competitive rhythm.
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That proved challenging against former world No. 6 Hurkacz, with the eighth seed now acknowledging his subpar performance in Friday's encounter.
"I wasn't close to what I was playing in Beijing. I'm slightly more tired, not fresh. Hubie was serving very big and, you know, I didn't feel myself on the court in terms of feeling the ball. It's super quick surface, completely different from Beijing," Djokovic explained.
"Yeah, if you lose your serve, it's enough to lose the match, just once per set. That's what happened. It's very difficult to return his serve, almost impossible, he was serving big. So yeah, I didn't adjust, and it was a really tough draw for me to play him in the first match here.
"Beijing was great. A very early exit here, but it's okay. I've had a great week in Beijing, and I look forward to rest a little bit and get ready for indoor."
Source: “AOL Sports”
