Hurkacz dumps Djokovic out of Shanghai for first win in nine tries
Hubert Hurkacz beat Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-3 on Friday to knock the Serb out of the Shanghai Masters in the second round. The tie at the Rolex Shanghai Masters lasted 87 minutes, BBC and sent Hurkacz through to the third round. It was his first win in nine career meetings with Djokovic.
The match was played on 9 October 2026, Reuters opening the night session on Day 3. It paired two former champions. Hurkacz lifted the trophy in 2023 and was playing Shanghai for the first time since that run, while Djokovic is a record four-time champion at the event.
Hurkacz did it in straight sets. No third set. No tiebreak. Done in 87 minutes.
The defeat came three days after Djokovic won his 102nd career title at the China Open in Beijing, BBC after Alex de Minaur retired injured from the final. The quick turnaround from Beijing to Shanghai left little time to reset. Hurkacz allowed no way back in.
Hurkacz had earned the meeting with Djokovic by beating Australia's James Duckworth 6-3, 7-6(4) in 81 minutes, ATP Tour firing 19 aces along the way. The second set needed a tiebreak, the first-to-seven decider used when a set reaches 6-6. That win set up the second-round clash with Djokovic.
What makes this stand out is the history. Eight defeats had come before. This time the Pole held his nerve from first ball to last and closed out a champion who rarely leaves Shanghai early.
