Novak Djokovic’s third-round clash at the 2025 Shanghai Masters took an alarming turn when the Serbian tennis legend was seen vomiting mid-match after visibly struggling with the sweltering weather conditions. Despite battling nausea and fatigue, the former world No. 1 somehow managed to grind out a hard-fought victory over German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann, winning 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in a two-hour, 45-minute battle.
How Did the Extreme Shanghai Weather Affect Novak Djokovic During the Tournament?
Djokovic, a four-time Shanghai champion, has long been admired for his resilience and fitness, but the heat and humidity in China seemed to push even him to the limit. A few days ago, following his opening-round win over Marin Cilic, 7-6 (2), 6-4, the 24-time Grand Slam champion spoke candidly about the brutal playing conditions.
During his post-match press conference, he remarked on the extreme humidity, saying, “It’s crazy humid, to be honest. I don’t recall the weather being so humid in China. I don’t remember the last time I played in humidity like this. It is what it is, you know, it’s the same for me, my opponent, and every other player.”
Djokovic went on to admit that the climate was taking a toll on him physically but maintained his characteristic calm and humor. “You just have to accept it and deal with it,” he added. “There is a lot of sweating. The laundry bills will be quite high this week, but that’s okay. Hopefully, I can keep it going.”
Those words, however, took on a grim irony just days later when the 38-year-old appeared visibly ill during his third-round encounter. Midway through the second set, Djokovic was seen walking toward the back of the court to vomit. Moments later, he appeared to throw up again into a towel during the changeover, prompting gasps from the crowd.
A clip of the distressing scene quickly circulated on X, capturing the moment Djokovic doubled over near the baseline.
Djokovic in Shanghai today 🤮👀 pic.twitter.com/lewhOLsIVV
— Tennis Masterr (@tennismasterr) October 5, 2025
“It’s brutal when you have over 80% of humidity day after day,” he said after the game. “You just have to deal with it, but for me, biologically, it is a bit more challenging to deal with it.”
The Serb advanced to the fourth round, where he will take on Jaume Munar. This will be their second meeting on the ATP Tour, with the Serb winning their only encounter at the 2018 French Open. The winner of this match will face either the 31st seed, Gabriel Diallo, or Zizou Bergs in the quarterfinals.
MORE: Novak Djokovic Alarmed by Weather Conditions in Shanghai As He Starts His Journey
