Djokovic Tops Cilic for 40th Career Shanghai Victory – Tennis Now
By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, October 2, 2025
Photo credit: Jade Gao/AFP/Getty
Absence makes the heart grow fonder—and Novak Djokovic even fiercer.
Playing his first match since the US Open semifinals, Djokovic showed sharp serving and toughness under stress subduing Marin Cilic 7-6(2), 6-4 to score his 40th career win at the Rolex Shanghai Masters today.
It’s a milestone moment for Djokovic, who is the first man to score 40 or more victories at six ATP Masters 1000 tournaments.
In the oldest match in ATP Masters 1000 history, the 38-year-old Serbian superstar served 68 percent, won 42 of 50 first-serve points, pumped 10 aces and saved all 4 break points he faced fending off 37-year-old Cilic.
“Very pleased,” Djokovic said after raising his 2025 record to 32-10. “Lots of respect for Marin and all he has achieved and who he is as a person. We get along well.
“We haven’t played [each other recently]. Last time was three years ago. For me, I did struggle to find my rhythm from the baseline. I lacked match play, the US Open was the last one so I had a really tough opening one against Marin.”
Novak loves Shanghai 🇨🇳
The moment he collected his record 40th win at the event and first at this level since March 💪#RolexShagnhaiMasters pic.twitter.com/2uLl3o8HIh
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 3, 2025
Though Cilic struck seven more winners—28 to 21—Djokovic played cleaner tennis, committing just 15 unforced errors, which was nine fewer than his opponent.
“He was so aggressive and didn’t give me time to breathe,” Djokovic said. “I dig myself out of trouble with good serving.
“Obviously, I have to still improve my game, but I’m happy with the win.”
Launching his quest for a record-extending 41st ATP Masters 1000 championship, Djokovic will play Yannick Hanfmann next.
German qualifier Hanfmann hammered 21 aces against one double fault toppling 25th-seeded Frances Tiafoe 6-7(9), 6-2, 6-1 earlier today. Djokovic defeated Hanfmann in their lone prior meeting, 6-3, 6-3, at the 2024 Geneva tournament.
Four-time Shanghai champion Djokovic improved to 20-2 lifetime vs. Cilic with today’s win coming more than 16 years after they squared off in the Beijing final.
On a sweaty, sticky evening, chair umpire James Keothavong issued Djokovic a soft warning for flirting with service clock violations, adding because the towel box were so far from court—and the humidity was so oppressive he was giving both players a bit of extra time.
Level at 5-all, Djokovic dug in to deny two break points and prevail in a draining 13-minute hold for 6-5. In a miss, Cilic may well be running right now, the Croatian misfired on a forehand return off a second serve on his first break point of that game. On the second break point, Cilic netted a backhand.
Djokovic stung a serve down the T and breathed a sigh of relief scraping through that hard-fought hold for 6-5.
Commanding serving from Cilic saw the Croatian stamp a love hold to force the first-set tiebreaker after 59 minutes of play.
Djokovic turned the tables in the tiebreaker repeatedly piercing the 2014 US Open champion’s serve.
Mini breaks marked five of the first seven points as Djokovic drew an errant forehand to go up 5-2.
Lashing a big serve down the T brought Djokovic multiple set points at 6-2.
A sharp Djokovic drew another forehand miss to snatch a one-set lead after 67 high-quality minutes of play.
Holding to level the second set after two games, Djokovic paused to arch is back and stretch out his leg as if trying to knead the kinks out of a body playing its first match since last month.
Yet it was Cilic who soon showed more strain from a physical first set. The Croatian netted successive drop shots and committed a final error ceding the break and a 2-1 second-set lead to Djokovic after one hour, 22 minutes.
Throwing down his fifth ace, Djokovic backed up the break for a 3-1 lead.
The Grand Slam king streaked through four consecutive love holds building a 5-4 second-set lead, but then pressure struck when he served for the match.
Djokovic netted a double fault to face break point, but dodged it on a Cilic backhand wide.
The fourth seed faced a second break point—and was hit with a time violation warning by chair umpire Keothavong—but saved it when Cilic sent a forehand long.
On match point, Djokovic drilled his 10th ace sealing a one hour, 54-minute win in style.
