Novak Djokovic Faces Brutal Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz Test as Shanghai Masters Looms

After seeing Wimbledon, Roland Garros, and the US Open slip through his fingers, Novak Djokovic now sets his sights on the Shanghai Masters. A four-time champion at this event, Djokovic is chasing a fifth crown, but his path won’t be easy. His fiercest young rivals have repeatedly stood in his way: Carlos Alcaraz ousted him at Roland Garros, Janik Sinner ended his Wimbledon run, and Alcaraz struck again at the US Open. As Djokovic prepares for his Shanghai comeback, his full schedule has been revealed. Let’s take a closer look.

The four-time champion of the Shanghai Masters will enter this year’s tournament with a favourable start, skipping Round 1 thanks to the bye. His journey will officially begin in Round 2, where he will face the winner of Ugo Moutet vs. Marin Cilic. Should he advance in round three, he could be pitted against Frances Tiafoe or Lorenzo Sonego. while in the Round of 16, the former champion will either face Andrey Rublev or Flavio Cobolli. Each of these matches is stacked with potential fireworks.

Novak Djokovic’s 2025 Shanghai draw:

R1 – BYE
R2 – Moutet/Cilic
R3 – Tiafoe/Sonego
R4 – Rublev/Cobolli
QF – Shelton/Ruud/Cerundolo
SF – Sinner/Fritz/Shelton
F – Alcaraz/Zverev/De Minaur/Musetti

AFP/Hector Retamal pic.twitter.com/9JmXkttvcJ

— Olly Tennis (@Olly_Tennis_) September 29, 2025

Looking further down the draw, if Djokovic reaches the quarterfinals, he could face a stern test against Ben Shelton, Casper Ruud, or Francisco Cerundolo. A semi-final showdown might pit him against Jannik Sinner, Taylor Fritz, or even Shelton again. Should he make it to the final, Djokovic could clash with one of tennis’s brightest stars: Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Alex de Minaur, or Lorenzo Musetti.

This story is developing…

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