Key Takeaways
- Hubert Hurkacz achieved his first career win over Novak Djokovic with a 6-4, 6-3 victory at the Shanghai Masters.
- Djokovic experienced his earliest Shanghai exit following a grueling title run at the China Open in Beijing.
- Holding the final qualifying spot, Djokovic faces pressure to perform at the Paris Masters to reach the ATP Finals in Turin.
Hurkacz claims maiden win against Djokovic after eight straight losses
Hubert Hurkacz recorded his first victory over Novak Djokovic, eliminating the Serb in the second round of the Shanghai Masters with a 6-4, 6-3 victory. The result ended an eight-match losing streak for Hurkacz against Djokovic and handed the 24-time major champion his earliest exit at the tournament.
Hurkacz acknowledged that Djokovic was physically spent following a demanding run to the China Open title in Beijing, where the 39-year-old competed in six matches across nine days. The Polish star noted that his opponent “was struggling a bit” during the contest, adding that it is difficult to quickly recover following such an intense week.
Djokovic’s 2026 singles campaign across China
| Tournament and round | Result | Opponent | Score | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China Open 1R | WIN | vs Nuno Borges | 6-3, 7-6 | Wednesday, September 30 |
| China Open 2R | WIN | vs Yunchaokete Bu | 4-6, 7-6, 6-2 | Friday, October 2 |
| China Open QF | WIN | vs Alexander Zverev | 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 | Sunday, October 4 |
| China Open SF | WIN | vs Daniil Medvedev | 7-5, 5-3 | Monday, October 5 |
| China Open F | WIN | vs Alex de Minaur | 7-6, 0-1 | Tuesday, October 6 |
| Shanghai Masters 2R | LOSS | vs Hubert Hurkacz | 4-6, 3-6 | Friday, October 9 |
Serving power dictates second-round meeting
Hurkacz dominated on serve and in baseline exchanges, firing 13 aces and 32 winners while converting two of five break point opportunities. Djokovic failed to convert either of his two break chances and finished with only 11 winners.
Reflecting on the contest, Hurkacz said he felt good about producing an aggressive serve when it mattered most against a perennial contender. The 2023 Shanghai Masters champion will proceed to the third round, facing either Lorenzo Musetti or Zhou Yi.
Year-by-year tournament history for Hubert Hurkacz in Shanghai
| Year | Result | Win-loss record |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Did not play | — |
| 2016 | Did not play | — |
| 2017 | Did not play | — |
| 2018 | First round | 0-1 |
| 2019 | Third round | 2-1 |
| 2020 | Tournament cancelled | — |
| 2021 | Tournament cancelled | — |
| 2022 | Tournament cancelled | — |
| 2023 | Champion | 6-0 |
| 2024 | Did not play | — |
| 2025 | Did not play | — |
| 2026 | Third round | 1-0 |
Upcoming schedule and ATP Finals qualification race
Following his Shanghai departure, Djokovic is scheduled to participate in the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi Arabia from October 21 to 24 before returning to the ATP Tour for the Paris Masters starting November 2. The pause provides him a 25-day gap between official tour appearances.
Djokovic currently holds the final qualification spot for the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin, which begin November 15. Because multiple rivals remain active in Shanghai and can gain ground, a deep run in Paris will likely be required to ensure his place in the field.
Novak Djokovic in 2026
Now ranked no.11, Novak played his last match on the 9th of October when he capitulated to world no.34 Hubert Hurkacz 6-4 6-3 in the 2nd round in Shanghai (draw).
Currently, during this season Novak owns a compiled 19-9 match record. Novak has won 1 title in Beijing.
ATP Shanghai - Hubert Hurkacz's projected path
Hurkacz in Shanghai, ranking, and results in 2026
Currently the world no.34, Hubert achieved an overall 35-21 record in 2026. Hubert is playing at the moment in Shanghai where he managed to beat the world no.64 James Duckworth 6-3 7-6(4) and the world no.11 Novak Djokovic 6-4 6-3.
Hubert Hurkacz will fight against the world no.277 Yi Zhou in the 3rd round. They have never competed against each other so far in top competitions.
Hurkacz conquered 2 titles in 2026 in Australia and the Cancun Challenger.
Hurkacz won 9 titles in his career: 5 on hard courts, 1 on clay courts, 2 on indoor courts and 1 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Novak Djokovic and Hubert Hurkacz clashed against each other 9 times. Their record is 8-1 for Djokovic.
