WATCH: Djokovic dramatically falls to ground and battles through injury in Shanghai

Novak Djokovic looked down for the count in his 2025 Shanghai Masters match against Jaume Munar when he lay sprawled on the ground after the second set.

The players have been competing in brutally hot conditions at the Shanghai Masters, with temperatures reaching the mid-thirties, leading to several retirements since the tournament began.

Jannik Sinner found the conditions too much to handle. In the deciding set of his round of 32 contest against Tallon Griekspoor, the ATP world No. 2 retired after struggling to walk due to severe cramps.

Although he did not retire, Djokovic also found the hot weather challenging. In his match against Yannick Hanfmann, the Serbian vomited twice before finding enough energy to reach the round of 16.

Djokovic had an even more physically intense battle against Jaume Munar. The Spaniard is a gritty opponent who gets a lot of balls into play, making him particularly tough to face in energy-sapping heat.

Last year's Olympic Gold Medalist won the opening set 6-3, but that did not knock Munar's spirits. The rallies remained consistently intense throughout the second set until Munar eventually got to set point on Djokovic's serve.

After another lengthy rally, Djokovic hit a cross-court forehand to hand Munar the set 7-5 and set up a decider. However, the 28-year-old's celebrations were not what got the most attention after that point.

When Djokovic misdirected that forehand, Djokovic immediately fell to the ground. He then lay there on his back, arms and legs spread, reminiscent of the type of pose players do after winning Grand Slams or other significant tournaments.

Djokovic then put his left arm across his eyes. After about 15 seconds of lying there, the former world No. 1 slowly started to rise and eventually slowly walked to his chair ahead of the deciding set.

Unsurprisingly, Djokovic saw both the doctor and physio before playing again. At that stage, Munar might have wondered whether his illustrious opponent would call it quits and suffer the same fate as Sinner.

Djokovic has often been accused of exaggerating physical issues. A notable example was when some fans booed him after he retired from his 2025 Australian Open semifinal against Alexander Zverev.

In the first set, Djokovic was treated for what looked like a leg injury after breaking for a 3-1 lead. That would strongly indicate that his physical struggles were genuine and that falling to the ground was an emotional reaction to losing a draining set in the brutal heat.

As the third set began, Munar seemed to have a real chance of pulling off an upset. Instead, Djokovic rallied spectacularly. He produced his best tennis since the US Open to win it 6-2 and set up a quarterfinal with Zizou Bergs.

Aware of his physical struggles, Djokovic upped his aggression. The seven-time Wimbledon champion's forehand, in particular, was outstanding, and repeatedly allowed him to shorten the rallies against his younger opponent.

Djokovic has spoken openly about his physical struggles as a 38-year-old compared to previous years, but how he keeps fighting and producing a high level is inspiring.