Djokovic, shocked in Shanghai: "I don't remember the last time I played in humidity like this"

Carlos Navarro | 3 Oct 2025 | 15.55

Djokovic spoke about the tough conditions in Shanghai. Source: Getty

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Novak Djokovic returned to one of the places where he feels most loved, and he did it with a magnificent victory. The Serbian player breezed past Marin Cilic in his debut in Shanghai, overcoming moments of difficulty in a tightly contested first set but emerging with his best form in a tiebreak where he ultimately secured his win. It was Novak's first match since his defeat in the US Open semifinals... and he passed this first test with flying colors.

There was one aspect, however, that greatly surprised Novak Djokovic: the tremendous humidity experienced today at ATP Shanghai 2025. During the match, we saw the Serbian constantly asking for a towel, trying to cool his hands at every possible opportunity, and overall struggling with the atmospheric conditions. This was something he addressed in a press conference, expressing his concern over facing almost inhuman levels of humidity. Nevertheless, he also expressed pride in his performance and confirmed his eagerness and enthusiasm for this tournament.

- Djokovic talked about the humidity in Shanghai and praised his serving performance

- Return to China, a place where he has always felt very loved

"I need to brush up on my Chinese and my language skills (smiles). It's always a pleasure to play in front of such passionate fans. The people have shown me their love and affection for many years, so I try to give it back to them with good tennis and a bit of basic Chinese knowledge, with some phrases. It's been amazing to see the stands full today. I know it's a national holiday, but for the first match, it's incredible. This is one of the most beautiful stadiums on the tour, and I enjoy it a lot. I struggled on the court because it was a high-intensity match, with Marin being an incredible opponent. Happy to have overcome my first obstacle."

- Rune stated that training with him has greatly helped him for the tournament

"I made him say that (laughs). We always have very intense training sessions, which is great. Sometimes we push each other to the limit as if it were a match. Having such a high level of concentration and dedication in training is fantastic, especially coming from someone so young. I enjoy those training sessions because they prepare me in the best possible way for the tournament and what awaits me in future matches."

- The humidity in Shanghai, a differentiating factor that he suffered throughout the match

"The humidity here is insane, honestly. I don't remember the weather being this humid in China. I can't recall the last time I played with humidity like this. It is what it is, the same for me, my opponent, and everyone else. You have to accept it and deal with it. You sweat a lot, the laundry bills are going to be very high this week, but it's fine. I hope it doesn't stop me."

- Strong serving percentages, with nine aces and saving break points

"I think my serving performance was very good. I hit more aces than he did against me, which is not very common when facing someone like Marin. He has one of the best serves in the world and today he played very aggressively: when he feels the ball, he hits it flat and deep. He's a big guy with a very clear tactical intention to put me in uncomfortable situations and make me defend, which he achieved in the first set. I was able to escape from those difficult situations with my serve and some good shots, but it was a tough match, no doubt. Sometimes it's good to kick off a tournament with a match like this."

- Clash of two veterans, the oldest at the Masters 1000 level

"Today, before the match, I thought about the combined age between Marin and me: 75 years. That's a lot. Hopefully, we can play more matches and perhaps break more records. I think today we played as if we were 15 years younger, which is great. We keep pushing each other, even against the younger guys. At the end of the day, age doesn't matter when you step onto the court; you have to find a way to win, that's the goal."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Djokovic, impactado en Shanghái: "No recuerdo la última vez que jugué con una humedad como esta"

Novak Djokovic