Hurkacz breaks the 0-8 hoodoo and knocks Djokovic out of the Shanghai Masters

The Rolex Shanghai Masters (7-18 October) produced its biggest surprise of the week on Friday: Hubert Hurkacz knocked out Novak Djokovic (6-4, 6-3) to claim his first win in nine meetings against the Serb.

Hurkacz's first

The Pole, champion here in 2023, needed just 87 minutes and 13 aces to take down the 10th seed on his return to the court where he lifted his only Masters 1000 title. He saved both break points he faced, and a Djokovic double fault in the fourth game of the second set (3-1) put the match beyond doubt. The head-to-head, which stood at 0-8, now reads 1-8.

Djokovic arrived in Shanghai just three days after lifting his 102nd title in Beijing, with six matches in ten days behind him, and admitted the toll: «I was not close to what I was playing in Beijing. I'm slightly more tired, not fresh… It's a super quick surface, completely different from Beijing. If you lose your serve, it is enough to lose the match, once per set, and that is what happened. It is very difficult to return his serve, almost impossible». The Serb remains the tournament's most decorated player —four titles, a record— but his 2026 China campaign ends in the second round. Hurkacz, world No. 34, awaits his third-round opponent.

Zverev and Shelton advance

Top seed Alexander Zverev had to work harder than expected against home wild card Yibing Wu (6-4, 7-6(4)) but remains firmly on track in his bid for the ATP World No. 1 ranking, with his Turin spot already secured. Ben Shelton (3) also moved on: 6-3, 7-6(6) against Daniel Altmaier, Rune's conqueror, on his 24th birthday.

Upsets and marathons

• Qualifier Rei Sakamoto knocked out Andrey Rublev (23) 6-4, 6-4: the Japanese now has two main-draw wins this week.
• Adrian Mannarino edged Flavio Cobolli (6) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.
• Wild card Yi Zhou delivered the home upset against Lorenzo Musetti (24): 7-6(3), 3-6, 7-6(6), with several match points for the local denied by the Italian.
• Karen Khachanov (26) needed three and a half hours to see off Britain's Arthur Fery in three tie-break sets.
• France's Arthur Gea eliminated Ugo Humbert (30) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.
• Straightforward wins: Mensik (13) 6-3 6-3 over Kecmanovic; Nakashima (16) 7-6(4) 7-5 over Berrettini; Bublik (19) 6-4 7-6(4) over Machac; Tiafoe (7) 6-4 6-4 over Hanfmann; F. Cerundolo (21) 7-6(5) 6-3 over Safiullin; Davidovich Fokina (25) 6-1 6-3 over Brooksby; Halys 4-6 7-6 6-4 over Blockx (27).
• Alex de Minaur (9) reached the third round without playing: Molcan withdrew before taking the court (walkover).

Saturday: the big debuts

• Carlos Alcaraz (2) — Babolat Pure Aero 98 (Gen 9)from 269,99 €: the Tokyo champion opens against Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
• Daniil Medvedev — Tecnifibre TFight 305Sfrom 209,99 €: takes on Jan-Lennard Struff.
• Taylor Fritz (11) — HEAD Radical MP Auxeticfrom 188,95 €: faces Matteo Arnaldi with Turin in sight.
• Stefanos Tsitsipas — Wilson Blade 98 16x19 v10from 169,99 €: meets Luciano Darderi chasing a 7-0 record in his Shanghai openers.
• Also today: defending champion Valentin Vacherot vs Sebastian Baez; Casper Ruud vs Bu; Lehecka-Borges and Auger-Aliassime-Ugo Carabelli.

Friday's rackets, in the catalog

• Hubert Hurkacz — Yonex VCORE 98 (8th gen)from 236,95 €: the VCORE 98 with which he served Djokovic off the court; the same model Brandon Nakashima plays.
• Alexander Zverev — Head Gravity Tour Zverev 2026from 228,95 €: the German's signature frame, unstoppable in his No. 1 pursuit.
• Ben Shelton — Yonex EZONE 98 (8th gen)from 247,99 €: a birthday win with the EZONE 98.
• Frances Tiafoe — Yonex Percept 97from 219,99 €: 6-4 6-4 over Hanfmann.
• Jakub Mensik — Wilson Blade 98 16x19 v10from 169,99 €: the Czech settled his clash in two sets.
• Tomas Machac fell to Bublik playing the Yonex VCORE 100; the Kazakh's Diadem Project Bublik 98 remains off-catalog.

What's next

The second round is completed on Saturday with 16 matches; the round of 16 begins on Sunday, and the final closes the tournament on Sunday 18.