Djokovic faces challenges at the Shanghai Masters 2025

The Serbian legend is expected to meet Jannik Sinner in the early rounds of the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters 2025.

The 2025 Shanghai Masters will mark the 14th edition of this ATP Masters 1000 event, which began in 2009. Across the previous 13 tournaments, only seven players have won the title, with Novak Djokovic standing out with four championships.

This year, it was uncertain whether the Serbian legend would travel to China, but a few days before the event, Djokovic officially confirmed his participation and appeared at the draw ceremony. Despite playing little this year, the 24-time Grand Slam champion is seeded fourth and receives a first-round bye. In the second round, Djokovic could face Marin Cilic if the former Grand Slam winner defeats Corentin Moutet.

Djokovic’s presence certainly adds excitement to the tournament, but the spotlight remains on the top two seeds. Carlos Alcaraz is placed in the top half. The Spanish player arrives in Shanghai after competing at the Tokyo Open, where he suffered an injury in his opening match but has since recovered to continue playing. If he maintains his condition, Alcaraz will face the winner between Learner Tien and Miomir Kecmanovic in the second round.

In the opposite half, Jannik Sinner is seeded second and positioned at spot 128. The Italian player will start by playing Daniel Altmaier or a qualifier.

The draw is fairly balanced, with many potential dark horses evenly distributed. Daniil Medvedev, former world No. 1, could meet Alcaraz in the fourth round. The Russian will begin against Yibing Wu or a qualifier. Alexander Zverev is also in Alcaraz’s half and will face Mariano Navone or a qualifier in the second round.

For Sinner, a possible fourth-round opponent is Alexander Bublik, who has been in excellent form recently. Sinner shares the bottom half with Djokovic and might encounter Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals. The American fifth seed will open against Fabian Marozsan or Stan Wawrinka, who received a wildcard.

Another notable name in this half is Ben Shelton. The American has not played since his injury at the US Open, but his inclusion in the draw is a positive sign. Shelton, seeded sixth, will face David Goffin or Alexandre Muller in his opening match in Shanghai.