World No. 5Â Novak Djokovic is off to a winning start in the Rolex Shanghai Masters. The Serb made easy work of the unseeded Croatian and a veteran of the game, Marin Cilic, in straight sets, 7-6(2), 6-4, to book his ticket to the round of 32.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion has had a fairly decent year, reaching the semifinals of all four Grand Slams but falling short twice against Jannik Sinner and once against Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev.
While Novak has showcased consistency on the court, the age factor is evident, as the Serb cannot keep up with his younger opponents’ energy levels.
Novak Djokovic Gave His Honest Opinion on the Weather Conditions in Shanghai
After the win against Cilic, Djokovic addressed the media for a press conference, during which he was asked countless questions about the game, his playing style, the age factor, and, most importantly, the changing weather conditions in Shanghai, China.
Speaking on the hot and humid conditions and how he’s holding up in these weather conditions, the Serb said, “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.”
He added, “You just have to accept it and deal with it. 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.”
The Djokovic-Cilic game went down in history books as the oldest 1000 Masters match, with a combined age of 75 years and 139 days. The two sports stars rolled back the years as Novak registered his 20th win over the Croat in their head-to-head battle.
Djokovic Addressed the Perception Around His Age and Playing the Oldest 1000 Masters Game
Reflecting on his age and being part of the oldest 1000 Masters match in the history of the ATP tour, Djokovic said, “Today, before the match, I thought about the combined age of me and Marin. It’s 75. So that’s a lot.”
He added, “Hopefully, we can play a few more and make more records. But, yeah, I think we both performed like we were maybe 15 years younger, which is good. We keep challenging each other and the young guys on the tour. At the end of the day, age doesn’t matter when you walk out on the court; you have to find a way to win, so that’s the end game.”
While Cilic’s run ended in Shanghai, Djokovic keeps rolling forward and will face unseeded German Yannick Hanfmann in the next round on Sunday.
