Shanghai, China – Novak Djokovic made a successful return to the court at the 2025 Rolex Shanghai Masters, defeating former world No. 3 Marin Cilic 7-6 (2), 6-4 in his first match since the US Open.
The 38-year-old, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, showcased his trademark resilience, navigating a first-set tiebreak and closing out the match in one hour and 54 minutes on Stadium Court. The win improves Djokovic’s head-to-head record against Cilic to 20-2.
“Serving performance was great. I aced him more than he aced me, which is not very common against someone like Marin. He was very aggressive and had clear tactical intentions to make me defend,” Djokovic said after the match.
Djokovic had initially planned to skip the Masters 1000 tournaments following his US Open semifinal defeat but cited renewed motivation to compete more frequently. He emphasized his connection with fans in China:
“The support I’ve been getting in Beijing and Shanghai has been incredible. Every practice feels like playing a match because of the energy and passion from the crowd. I just feel at home here.”
The Serbian star dominated key moments, breaking early in the second set and serving out the match despite a minor time violation. He finished with 21 winners and 15 unforced errors, demonstrating precision and composure throughout.
Up next, Djokovic will face German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann, who impressed with back-to-back comebacks against Lorenzo Sonego and No. 25 seed Frances Tiafoe.