Novak Djokovic suffered a surprise second-round defeat at the Shanghai Masters, losing to Hubert Hurkacz just three days after winning his 102nd career title at the China Open. The 39-year-old Serbian was beaten 6-4, 6-3 in just 87 minutes, suffering his first defeat to Hurkacz in nine career meetings. Djokovic entered the tournament following a successful run in Beijing, where he ended an 11-month title drought after Alex de Minaur retired injured in the final.

His China Open victory also extended his remarkable record of winning at least one ATP singles title for 21 consecutive years. However, playing his sixth match in 10 days appeared to take its toll as Hurkacz secured a break of serve in each set to seal the victory. The defeat has complicated Djokovic’s hopes of qualifying for the season-ending ATP Finals, with the 24-time Grand Slam champion currently ninth in the race to Turin. He will now need a strong performance at November’s Paris Masters to improve his chances of finishing among the top eight.