Age is just a number for Djokovic

Andrés Tomás Rico | 3 Oct 2025 | 14.36

Age is just another number for Djokovic. Photo: Getty Images

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Novak Djokovic and Marin Cilic had a combined age of 75 years, breaking the record for the oldest combined age in a Masters 1000 match. Two veterans with plenty of experience under their belts who still maintain the passion for doing what they love most: playing tennis. However, despite both being 37 years old, the Serbian's experience and know-how prevailed over the Croatian's resistance (7-6(2), 6-4) to start his journey in the ATP Shanghai with a victory.

A month after his defeat against Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open semifinals, Novak Djokovic returned to the circuit. This time, at the ATP Shanghai facing an old acquaintance like Marin Cilic. They have faced each other a total of 21 times, with Djokovic emerging victorious 19 times and suffering two defeats. However, they hadn't crossed paths since three years ago in the final of the ATP Tel Aviv in 2022.

Both Djokovic and Cilic relied on their serves

The match started as expected, with both players holding their serves and few opportunities on the return. Djokovic needed to get back into rhythm after over a month off, while Cilic arrived in a slump: since his fourth-round exit at Wimbledon, he hadn't won a match until he reached Shanghai, defeating Nikoloz Basilashvili.

The humidity in the Chinese city didn't help either of them, and the first set headed into the final stretch without a clear dominator. Both were strong on serve, and the slightest detail could tip the balance. With no break points, they reached 5-5, but it was in the eleventh game where Cilic had the first opportunity. However, the 24-time Grand Slam champion held on, and they engaged in a battle of exchanges from which, as almost always, the Serbian emerged victorious.

Djokovic's experience decided the match

The first set went to a tiebreak with complete equality, although there was a feeling that Djokovic was struggling a bit more, using the sliced backhand frequently to disrupt Cilic's pace. But in the tiebreak, accustomed to mastering the tension in those moments, he took a step forward and claimed a tightly contested first set (7-6(2)).

After the equality and intensity of the first set, Cilic's physical strength began to fade, and in a poor service game from him, Djokovic seized the opportunity to secure the first break of the entire match in the third game of the second set and steer a match that looked dangerous from the start.

Relying on his serve as his main weapon to stave off Cilic's break attempts, the Serbian secured an important victory (7-6(2), 6-4) due to the demanding opponent and more than a month of inactivity. A significant debut for a Novak Djokovic who, despite being 38 years old and not at the peak of his career, still has a lot of tennis left in his racket.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La edad es solo un número más para Djokovic