Novak Djokovic was eliminated from the Shanghai Masters on Friday, falling to Poland's Hubert Hurkacz 6-4, 6-3 in the second round after just one hour and 28 minutes of play.
The 39-year-old Serbian player, ranked eighth in the world and seeded tenth at the tournament, suffered the loss three days after capturing his 102nd career title at the China Open in Beijing. Djokovic had won that event after Australian Alex de Minaur withdrew from the final due to injury while trailing 7-6 (7-3), 0-1.
This marked the first time Djokovic lost in his opening match at the Shanghai Masters, where he had previously been granted a bye in the first round as a seeded player. The defeat also represented Hurkacz's first victory over Djokovic in nine career meetings between the two players. Hurkacz, ranked 34th, was the 2023 champion of the Shanghai tournament.
Djokovic appeared fatigued from the start of the match. Hurkacz, who won the 2023 Shanghai title, relied on his powerful serve, recording 13 aces during the contest. The Polish player broke Djokovic's serve once in each set to secure the victory. In the second set, Djokovic committed an unusual double fault at a critical moment that contributed to the loss.
The Serbian player, a four-time Shanghai Masters champion with titles in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2018, had been seeking to maintain his position in the race for qualification to the ATP Finals in Turin from November 15-22. Djokovic currently occupies ninth place in the "Race," the 2026-only rankings that determine the eight players competing in the season-ending Masters event, which he has won seven times previously.
Hurkacz advanced to the third round, where he will face the winner of the match between Yi Zhou, ranked 277th, and Lorenzo Musetti, ranked 25th.
After the match, Djokovic said he was comfortable with the early exit and hoped to rest before preparing for indoor tournaments. He acknowledged the difficulty of returning Hurkacz's serve, describing it as nearly impossible. Hurkacz called the victory "a special night" and expressed honor at competing against Djokovic on the same court.