Djokovic battled for nearly three hours to narrowly advance, describing Shanghai’s weather as “brutally harsh!”

Following his third-round match at the Shanghai Masters, Djokovic spoke about the intense heat. The Serbian triumphed in three sets to move into the last 16.

This four-time tournament winner spent much of the third-round clash against Hanfmann struggling, but in the latter stages, he tapped into his reserves and fed off the crowd’s encouragement to win. After a grueling 2 hours and 45 minutes — his second-longest three-set match of 2025 so far — Djokovic advanced to the fourth round, where he will face Spain’s Munar.

However, the 38-year-old’s challenge extended beyond opponent Hanfmann to Shanghai’s high heat and humidity. Djokovic described the conditions as “brutal” and noted that his age made coping even tougher.

He said, “The conditions are the same for everyone stepping on court, but it’s truly brutal.” Discussing the environment in Shanghai, Djokovic added, “When humidity is above 80% daily, it’s already tough, especially playing under intense heat and sun during the day. Physically, it’s harder for me to handle. But today, I really had to get through this ‘storm.’ My opponent played extremely well from the start.”

In the first set, Djokovic was overwhelmed by Hanfmann’s varied tactics and powerful serving, with the German hitting four aces in that set alone. In the second set, Djokovic faced additional difficulties — at 38, he appeared to vomit during a changeover and began shortening rallies to regain control.

Ranked 150th in the world, Hanfmann aimed to become the lowest-ranked player to beat Djokovic in an ATP1000 Masters event. Despite playing aggressively and hitting 33 winners, including 13 aces, Hanfmann couldn’t withstand the pressure once Djokovic found his rhythm.

When Djokovic saved break points to even the score by taking the second set, the crowd in Shanghai erupted, marking a turning point in the match. He broke early in the deciding set and surged to victory, improving his head-to-head record against Hanfmann to 2-0. His 2025 record now stands at 33 wins and 10 losses.

“Playing in front of such passionate fans is incredible. The first two matches were sold out; this is one of the most beautiful and largest stadiums in our sport,” Djokovic said. “It’s truly amazing, honestly, I couldn’t ask for more. At 38, fighting for nearly three hours in the Masters’ third round with the crowd cheering me on — it’s a dream come true, and I’m very grateful.”

After defeating Hanfmann in the third round, Djokovic will face Spain’s Munar next. Previously, Munar defeated Yoshihito Nishioka 6-4, 5-7, 6-1 to reach the fourth round of a hard-court ATP Masters event for the first time.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Spark)