Hurkacz traps Djokovic in his web and wipes the smile off his face in an instant

Carlos Navarro - 9 Oct 2026 | 13:38
Hubert Hurkacz Novak Djokovic ATP Shanghái 2026 ATP

The Pole overshadowed a Nole who once again complained of tremors and experienced a performance that went from bad to worse, which he will want to forget very soon. 

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Hurkacz, imperial against Nole.

If Hubert Hurkacz has been a champion on Chinese soil, it is not merely by chance. The Polish player feels right at home on the courts of the ATP Shanghai 2026, which greatly benefit his playing style: his serve penetrates the hard court with ease due to its speed, and the slowness of the surface after nightfall allows his balls from the back of the court, sometimes almost dead, lacking power yet capable of getting into the minds of opponents, to inflict significant damage. A physically affected Novak Djokovic experienced this firsthand after his triumph in Beijing: the wolf ran out of energy in the second set against a fired-up Hubi, who dealt him the first major blow in the penultimate Masters 1000 of the season (6-4, 6-3).

Djokovic certainly did not start the match with any negative feelings. On the contrary: there was a certain spark in his shots, his game plan aimed to attack the sidelines once again and command from the back, and in fact, a couple of break points appeared in the third game of the match that promised to continue the great form he showed in the Chinese capital. Those break points dissipated in the face of Hurkacz's serves... and from that point on, the dynamic of the match changed, with the towering Polish player gaining much momentum and hitting the gas.

Key reasons why Hurkacz defeated Djokovic

The Serbian gradually faded in the face of the long rallies proposed by the Pole. A difference in their tennis became very evident, being, moreover, the factor that a 39-year-old Nole needs if he wants to win: the serve. With barely a 37% of first serves in during the first set, it was difficult for the Belgrade player to secure those essential free points in his game. Hubert had no trouble getting into a position to distribute play from the baseline, returning deep, and ultimately starting to move the Serbian around, masterfully using his cross-court backhand to displace him from the right side.

His inconsistency with the serve and his difficulty in finding winning shots began to slowly disconnect the Serbian, who ceded ground at the least opportune moment: he gave up his serve to hand the set to Hubi, with a last point that encapsulated very well what had transpired: a very weak second serve, a gift for Hurkacz, well inside the court, to deliver a cross-court forehand to the line to close the set.

Djokovic did not appear to have the energy to mount a comeback in such a demanding match: he indicated to his coach, Viktor Troicki, that his body was starting to tremble and he was suffering from cramps, showing very negative body language in the face of which Hurkacz did not flinch. Perhaps the Pole would have doubted in other times upon seeing his prey so wounded, but this time we saw none of that: the Polish player went for the match, crushing a Djokovic who did not even show the urge to give it his all with his own serve.

A couple of great points, where Hubi was resolute near the service line, defending Nole's last resort, the drop shots, ultimately nailed the final nails in the coffin of a Djokovic very out of sync. As if he had thrown in the towel, knowing that the fuel, after the effort in Beijing, would not be there in the coming days. The Serbian disconnected, and just one more break was enough for Hurkacz to finish weaving the perfect trap, wrapping Djokovic in his game and ensnaring him with each missile to the line. A clinical performance and a victory that will have significant consequences: it throws a perfect lifeline to De Miñaur in the fight for the ATP Finals 2026 and offers a golden opportunity to names like Alejandro Davidovich or Frances Tiafoe in a part of the draw that, including himself, has opened up very deeply. Will he be able to turn this victory into the perfect launching pad to succeed again on Chinese soil? We will see in the coming days.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Hurkacz atrapa a Djokovic en su tela de araña y le borra la sonrisa de un plumazo