Novak Djokovic does it once again. The Serb hasn’t had the smoothest ride at the Shanghai Masters, a place where he’s claimed four titles before. Battling tough heat and humidity, Nole hit a setback during his round of 16 clash with Jaume Munar on Tuesday when his ankle started giving him trouble. And it wasn’t just that—temperatures and humidity hovered around 80 percent, and Djokovic had already thrown up once in his previous match, sparking concern. This time, though, victory was his, even if the path to the quarterfinals was anything but easy.

On Tuesday, the Serbian took multiple medical timeouts during the two-hour, 40-minute match, often draping an ice towel over his head at changeovers as humidity climbed above 82 percent. He threw up several times courtside and collapsed after losing the second set before getting medical aid. But in true Djokovic style, he lightened the mood, apologizing to Munar, “Sorry to hold you up, man, I gotta clean up my own barf,” to which Munar replied, “No problem, amigo, Take your time.”

Despite the grueling conditions, the 38-year-old dug deep and powered through, grinding down Munar 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 in one of the toughest matches of the season. Brad Gilbert, Coco Gauff’s former coach, summed it up on X, “Djoker done ✔️ a great 👍 job managing himself and absolutely 💯 opened up the power quotion on the forehand.”

And it was well deserved! After dropping the second set, Djokovic capitalized on a crucial error from Munar to swing momentum back his way. He turned aggressive in the deciding set, unleashing a powerful forehand to dominate and seal the win. The resilience and fire never leave this champion.

But the heat wasn’t the only thing Nole had to battle in this match. In the first set, just as he took a 3-1 lead, his ankle started acting up. He winced in pain and called for a medical timeout — his hamstring was already strapped. Even after dropping the second set, he fought back and sealed the win.

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Now, with Nole set for a spot in the quarterfinals, questions loom over player well-being at this tournament. On Sunday, after throwing up on court in his match against Hanfmann, he spoke openly about the conditions. He called it “brutal” to play in such heat and humidity.

He said, “It’s brutal when you have over 80 per cent of humidity day after day, particularly for the guys when they’re playing during the day with heat, with sun, it’s even more brutal.” That same day, defending champion Jannik Sinner retired against Tallon Griekspoor after leg cramps hit in the decider. He wasn’t alone. Tomas Machac, Casper Ruud, David Goffin, Hamad Medjedovic, Terence Atmane, and Wu Yibing were all forced to retire from competition.

As Novak admitted, “For me, biologically it’s a bit more challenging to deal with it.” The ATP now looks to take this in stride — and find ways to avoid more withdrawals in the future.

ATP steps up following Novak Djokovic’s condition at Shanghai

Seeing seven different players drop out one after another, the ATP has finally addressed the heat chaos in Shanghai. In an email to Reuters, the tour said: “In parallel, the ATP Medical Services team implements several measures in cases of extreme heat, to help protect player health during competition.”

They also hinted at bigger changes on the horizon. “This remains under active review and additional measures, including the implementation of an official heat policy, are currently being evaluated in consultation with players, tournaments, and medical experts,” the statement continued. “Player safety remains a top priority for the ATP.”

Right now, that priority still feels shaky. The ATP’s heat policy doesn’t match the detailed systems used by the WTA and Grand Slams, like the Australian Open’s five-point heat stress scale. Instead, on the men’s tour, decisions fall to supervisors working with onsite medics. At the 2025 Shanghai Masters, that reactive style has been brutally exposed. Sure, the temperature sits around 30°C (86°F), but the real killer is the humidity in September and October, climbing to 75–80% and draining the life out of athletes.

Players are now asking for clear rules on when play should stop. Experts warn that in Shanghai’s swelter, the body overheats fast, dehydration kicks in, and cramps become inevitable. Even Daniil Medvedev struggled in Monday’s round of 32 against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. He won 6-3, 7-6, but collapsed onto his bench afterward, gasping for air, eyes closed, sweat soaking through his kit as the humidity wrapped around him.

Change won’t happen overnight, but the conversation has started. In the meantime, Novak Djokovic has another fight lined up — a quarterfinal showdown with Zizou Bergs. The question now? Can he ride the momentum through this heat and punch his ticket to the semifinals?