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Former rivals cross paths at the Rolex Shanghai Masters 2024
October 11, 2024
Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic meet each other in Shanghai.
ATP Media
Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic meet each other in Shanghai.
By ATP Staff
Roger Federer returned to the Rolex Shanghai Masters for an exhibition doubles match on Friday.

Before stepping on court, the Swiss legend ran into old rival Novak Djokovic as the 99-time tour-level champion walked out of his quarter-final match after battling past #NextGenATP star Jakub Mensik.

“Hey Old Man,” said Federer to the Serb, laughing, as the two shook hands.

The 20-time Grand Slam champion who won the ATP Masters 1000 event in Shanghai twice (2014, 2017), partnered with Eason Chan, a prominent Chinese singer and actor. They defeated the pairing of top Chinese player in the PIF ATP Rankings Zhang Zhizhen, and table tennis champion Fan Zhendong in a light-hearted match. The four treated fans with some great exchanges.

The 103-time tour-level titlist also visited Shanghai last year to receive the Icon Athlete Award from the tournament, celebrating his illustrious career.

During their careers, Djokovic and Federer played 50 times, with the Serbian taking their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 27-23.

-Additional reporting from Vivienne Christie, courtesy Rolex Shanghai Masters.

Serbian is one win away from his 100th tour-level title
October 12, 2024
Highlights: Djokovic maintains dominance vs. Fritz to reach Shanghai 2024 final
Novak Djokovic defeated Taylor Fritz in straight sets on Saturday to reach the championship match at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. Watch live & on demand at TennisTV.com.

Novak Djokovic overcomes Taylor Fritz on Saturday in the semi-finals at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.
By Andy West
Novak Djokovic is on the brink of a rare milestone at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

Aiming to become just the third man to lift 100 tour-level singles titles, the Serbian maintained his perfect Lexus ATP Head2Head record against Taylor Fritz to book his spot in the championship match at the Chinese ATP Masters 1000. Djokovic mixed trademark, gritty defence with spectacular shotmaking from the baseline in Saturday's clash to prevail 6-4, 7-6(6), his 10th straight tour-level victory against Fritz, and set a final showdown with World No. 1 Jannik Sinner.

“I came to Shanghai after five years of not playing in China, the place where I’ve always had great success, both in Shanghai and Beijing,” said Djokovic, when asked about the prospect of joining Jimmy Connors (109) and Roger Federer (103) in the 100-plus titles club. “[I’ve won] many titles, had great battles and great performances. I’ve said it many times, the support that I get here is tremendous and I’m very grateful.

“That creates an energy that keeps me going, keeps me running, so I did come here definitely with a vision and a desire to get to the final and fight for a 100th title. I get that chance against the best player in the world, and let’s see what happens.”

Chasing his 50th tour-level win of the season, Fritz dug deep in the opening game against Djokovic to hold serve from 0/40, but the American struggled to make an impact in return games for much of the semi-final encounter. He earned only two break points in the match, according to Infosys ATP Stats, when Djokovic was down 3-4, 15/40 in the second set. Yet the Serbian rallied to hold serve, and Fritz was later unable to force a deciding set after letting slip a set point behind his own serve at 6/5 in the tie-break.

Djokovic had acknowledged a ‘strange feeling’ in his unbandaged left knee during his quarter-final victory against Jakub Mensik on Friday, and he again appeared in discomfort during the closing stages against Fritz. He received treatment from the physio on the issue at 5-6 in the second set, but he was nonetheless able to grind out victory via the second-set tie-break.

“It always takes it out of me, these kinds of battles, but particularly towards the end of the tournament,” said Djokovic. “At this stage of my career, I’m doing my best to recover and I had some issues here and there on the court, physically, yesterday and today. But I managed to overcome it. It was a stern test. Taylor is in form, playing probably the best tennis of his life coming off a Grand Slam final, and he’s playing really well, particularly on this surface.

“He’s serving big, so I knew it was going to be a big test for me. I did not want to get to a third set, and I’m just glad to overcome in two.”

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With his one-hour, 56-minute win against Fritz, the record 40-time Masters 1000 titlist Djokovic advanced to his record-extending 59th final at that level, and his first of the 2024 season. The 37-year-old has now reached a Masters 1000 title match in 17 different seasons (2007-09, 2011-24), the same number as his great ‘Big Three’ rivals Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Standing between Djokovic and a record-extending fifth title in Shanghai is World No. 1 Sinner, who earlier defeated Tomas Machac 6-4, 7-5. Djokovic leads the Italian 4-3 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series, although Sinner has won the pair’s two most recent meetings at the 2023 Davis Cup Finals and the 2024 Australian Open.

Djokovic’s latest victory in Shanghai was another boost to his chances of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals for the 17th time. The 37-year-old rose above Casper Ruud into sixth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin by defeating Fritz on Saturday evening.

Serbian fell short in bid for 100th tour-level title at Rolex Shanghai Masters
October 13, 2024
Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner at the Rolex Shanghai trophy ceremony on Sunday.
Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images
Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner at the Rolex Shanghai trophy ceremony on Sunday.
By ATP Staff
Jannik Sinner is enjoying a stellar 2024 season on the ATP Tour. It is not hard for his rival Novak Djokovic to see the reasons why.

Djokovic pushed Sinner all the way in an absorbing opening set on Sunday in the Rolex Shanghai Masters championship match. Yet the Italian dialled in to clinch it in a tie-break before accelerating through the second set for a 7-6(4), 6-3 victory. It was Sinner’s third consecutive Lexus ATP Head2Head victory against Djokovic, and the Serbian was later asked if he sees any of his own abilities in his younger rival.

“All around, every shot he's got in the game,” said Djokovic in his post-match press conference. “He's improved his serve tremendously. I think that became a big weapon. He's just very aggressive from the baseline, as soon as he's got a shorter ball, he's taking the initiative. Just very solid from forehand and backhand, doesn't make too many mistakes, and just tries to take away the time from the opponent.

“That's something that reminds me of myself throughout my career, that's what I've done for so many years consistently. Playing fast-paced tennis, taking away time from the opponent, kind of suffocating the opponent, in a certain way. You want your opponent to always feel under pressure from your shots, from your speed, from your presence on the court. So he's got that. This year he's been so consistent. It's really, really impressive.”

You May Also Like: Federer, Djokovic reunite in Shanghai: 'Hey Old Man'
Despite his straight-sets defeat on Sunday, record four-time Shanghai champion Djokovic reflected fondly on his first appearance at the Chinese ATP Masters 1000 since 2019. The Serbian has risen three spots to sixth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin as a result of his championship-match run, putting him in a strong position to qualify for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals.

“I think there's quite a few positives that I can take,” said Djokovic. “First of all, I think the level of my tennis was really good this tournament, probably best after the Olympic games in terms of how I played, how I performed, how I fought.

“I did my best tonight. Under the circumstances, you know, I felt maybe not a hundred percent fresh, but at the same time big credit to Jannik for playing the big points better than me, and that's what made the difference. He deserved to win, he was just too strong in important moments.”

If Djokovic had defeated Sinner to lift the trophy in Shanghai, he would have become just the third man to win 100 tour-level titles in the Open Era (after Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer). While the 37-year-old acknowledged that hitting that milestone would have been ‘a bonus’, it is not the primary source of motivation for him as he continues to compete on tennis’ biggest stages.

“My main motivation comes from love and passion for the sport, and also the desire to keep competing,” said Djokovic. “These are the matches and challenges that I still strive for, to be in a position to play against the best players in the world, on the biggest stage, in the finals of some of the biggest tournaments in the world.

“That's what I work for and why I still keep on pushing myself. That's all that can be said about that. I don't know what future brings. I'll just try to kind of go with the flow to see how I feel in a given moment. I still plan to compete and play next season and let's see how far I go.”

Serbian reacts to seeing Swiss great in Shanghai final crowd
October 13, 2024
Roger Federer and Carlos Alcaraz in attendance for Rolex Shanghai Masters final.
Hector Retamal/Getty Images
Roger Federer and Carlos Alcaraz in attendance for Rolex Shanghai Masters final.
By ATP Staff
As Jannik Sinner claimed his seventh title of the season over Novak Djokovic at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, there were some familiar faces in the stands.

Roger Federer, the two-time Shanghai titlist (2014 & 2017), was among those in attendance to witness the World No. 1 delay Djokovic’s quest to join the Swiss great in surpassing 100 tour-level titles.

“It’s nice to see Roger, I’m not used to seeing you in the stands,” said Djokovic, who fell to a 7-6(4), 6-3 defeat to Sinner in the championship match. “I wish you were here on the court playing with us, but it’s probably the first time I’m playing in front of you, so I had added pressure today.”

Sinner continued his emphatic run on hard courts this season, improving to 8-2 vs. Top-5 players on the surface with his dominant display over record four-time champion Djokovic. The 23-year-old’s only two defeats came in Indian Wells and Beijing against fierce rival Carlos Alcaraz.

You May Also Like: Sinner in seventh heaven with dominant Shanghai final win vs. Djokovic
The Spaniard, alongside coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, was also present inside Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena as Sinner claimed his Tour-leading seventh title of 2024 and levelled his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Djokovic at 4-4.

ATPTour.com looks at the top Movers of the Week in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, as of Monday, 14 October 2024
October 14, 2024

ATP Tour/Getty Images
By ATP Staff
The eighth ATP Masters 1000 event of the season led to Jannik Sinner lifting the trophy at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. While the Italian grabbed the headlines, the battle to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals intensified.

Record seven-time champion Novak Djokovic boosted his hopes by reaching the final and Taylor Fritz consolidated his position in the Live Race after advancing to the last four. ATPTour.com looks at the movers of the week in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin as of Monday, 14 October.

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Novak Djokovic – Sixth (3,910 points)
The Serbian climbed three spots to sixth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin after he reached the title match in Shanghai. The 37-year-old dropped just one set en route to his record-extending 59th ATP Masters 1000 final and first in 2024. However, Djokovic was unable to overcome Sinner, who captured his seventh crown of the year.

Having arrived in Shanghai outside the qualification cut, Djokovic leaves China with a 17th appearance at the prestigious year-end event in sight.

View PIF ATP Live Race To Turin

Daniil Medvedev – Fourth (4,820 ponts)
Medvedev moved to the brink of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals following a quarter-final run in Shanghai. The 28-year-old earned wins against Thiago Seyboth Wild, Matteo Arnaldi and Stefanos Tsitsipas before Sinner stopped him in the last eight. Medvedev, who leads Tsitsipas 10-4 in the pair's Lexus ATP Head2Head series, lifted the trophy at the year-end event in 2020.

Taylor Fritz – Fifth (4,290 points)
The 26-year-old consolidated his fifth-placed position in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin after becoming just the second American semi-finalist in Shanghai tournament history (Sebastian Korda 2023). Fritz, who is 49-20 on the season, is chasing a second appearance in Turin, having reached the last four on debut in 2022.

Grigor Dimitrov – 10th (2,935 points)
Dimitrov kept alive his slim hopes of competing in Turin by outperforming seventh-placed Casper Ruud (3,805 points) and eighth-placed Andrey Rublev (3,580 points) in Shanghai. Dimitrov battled to the fourth round but lost to #NextGenATP Czech Jakub Mensik, who also beat Rublev and went on to win a set against Djokovic.

Dimitrov will chase precious points this week at the ATP 250 in Stockholm, where he competes with Andrey Rublev. Ruud and ninth-placed Alex de Minaur (3,305 points) take to court at the ATP 250 in Antwerp. De Minaur has been sidelined since the US Open due to injury.

You May Also Like: De Minaur returns in Antwerp, Rublev & Tiafoe top seeds in Almaty, Stockholm: Scouting Report
Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz have already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals, scheduled to take place from 10-17 November.