Djokovic sets a new record after opening victory in Shanghai

Novak Djokovic kicked off the 2025 Shanghai Masters by beating Maren Cilic, marking his 20th victory against the Croatian opponent and establishing a new record.

Novak Djokovic made a successful return at the Shanghai Masters on October 3rd, defeating Maren Cilic 7-6 (7-2), 6-4.

This match marked the first comeback for the 24-time Grand Slam champion since his loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open semifinals a month ago. Djokovic, who has won this Masters 1000 event four times in singles, is aiming for his first title here since 2018. Last year, he reached the final but was defeated by Jannik Sinner.

The Serbian player struggled with the humid conditions early on, which affected his grip. Before the first set tie-break, the match was quite balanced, with the only notable chances being two break points that Cilic failed to convert in the 11th game.

After losing the first point in the tie-break, Djokovic quickly regained control and secured the 7 points needed to close the opening set. In the second set, the 38-year-old broke his opponent's serve right at the start, held his own serve solidly, and saved two break points in the final game to seal the victory and advance to the round of 32.

This victory marked Djokovic's 20th win over Cilic in their 22 ATP Tour encounters. This achievement makes Cilic the seventh player against whom Djokovic has recorded at least 20 wins, joining Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Stan Wawrinka, Tomas Berdych, and Gael Monfils. The Serbian is also the only player in the Open Era to have 20 or more wins against more than five different opponents.

The tennis icon will continue his journey in Shanghai with a round of 32 match against Yannick Hanfmann on Sunday (October 5th). The German player caused an upset by coming from behind to defeat Frances Tiafoe (USA) earlier the same day to advance.