Novak Djokovic ignores questions about his health after shocking Shanghai loss
NewsSaturday, 11 October 2025 at 15:52
Novak Djokovic lost in the semi-finals of the 2025 Shanghai Masters to Valentin Vacherot, who was ranked 204th in the world ahead of the tournament, but the Serbian legend refused to blame his health for the loss.
Djokovic entered the semi-final stage at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Shanghai as a huge favorite. A 40-time Masters champion had to face the world No. 204 player in his semi-final match, and on top of that, his possible final opponent was either a six-time Masters champion or a first-time Masters semi-finalist.
The odds were certainly tilted in the 38-year-old's favor, but that was until he started physically struggling against Vacheroti in his semi-final match. The struggles came already in the first set, with Djokovic requesting a medical timeout down 3-4 in the opener.
He then lost the set, and despite fighting for every ball, he lost the second set as well. Djokovic lost the match 3-6, 4-6, exiting the tournament a bit earlier than expected after drawing a player outside the Top 200 for his semi-final match.
It was clear that Djokovic was impacted by his health, as throughout the event, but he didn't want to take anything away from his opponent after the match. When the two shook hands, the 24-time Grand Slam champion told his opponent that he fully deserved to play the final in Shanghai.
Then, after arriving for his press conference, the first question Djokovic faced was about his physical state and whether he planned to compete at the upcoming Six Kings Slam, which is an exhibition event held in Saudi Arabia.
Djokovic completely ignored that question because he didn't want to take anything away from his opponent. Instead, he focused on praising Vacherot for his incredible success, even saying that the better player won.
"I want to congratulate Valentin for reaching his first Masters final. Going from qualifications, it's an amazing story. I told him at the net that he's had an amazing tournament, but more so his attitude is very good, and his game was amazing as well. So it's all about him. I wish him all the best in the finals, and the better player won today."
After that, Djokovic faced yet another question about his condition. He was asked whether he could discuss his physical state, but the Serbian refused to address that topic.
"No. Next question, please."
It's understandable why Djokovic doesn't want to talk about his physical struggles at this stage of his tennis career. At 38, there aren't many matches where he feels 100%, and constantly talking about his issues would make it seem like he's making excuses.
That's something a 24-time Grand Slam champion doesn't need to do, so he instead refuses to speak about the topic. Djokovic will now rest a bit before playing at the Six Kings Slam. After that, he signed up for the Paris Masters and the Athens Open, which is played in his new country of residence.
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