October 11, 2025

In a thrilling tennis week in China, Novak Djokovic showed the fighter’s spirit. The 38-year-old Serbian star knocked out Belgium's Zizou Bergs 6-3, 7-5 in the Shanghai Masters quarter-finals despite clearly struggling with his health. “I'm concerned too,” Djokovic admitted when fans worried about his condition. “There were issues that I'm trying to address day by day.” Yet Djokovic refused to give up and said, “I prefer just focusing on recovery and trying to give it all.” The match was full of drama. Djokovic broke Bergs's serve early but looked tired after battling exhaustion and even vomiting in the previous round. He even used an inhaler during the game, which made the crowd hold their breath. But his fighting spirit and the cheers of his fans helped him keep going. At one point, the crowd was so loud that the umpire had to call for silence! Next up, Djokovic faces an unexpected giant slayer—Valentin Vacherot from Monaco. Ranked world number 204, Vacherot shocked top seed Holger Rune by coming back from a set down to win 2-6, 7-6, 6-4. “It would be unreal to face Djokovic,” said Vacherot joyfully, who feels great physically. The qualifier’s story is a fairy tale: he wasn’t even sure he’d get a spot in the tournament and has fought like a warrior. Not far away, at the Wuhan Open, the women's tennis scene is just as sizzling! World number one Aryna Sabalenka dashed past Liudmila Samsonova 6-3, 6-2, continuing her unbeaten streak at Wuhan to 19 matches. Sabalenka shared a fun tidbit with reporters, “We went for dinner. We practised a couple times,” about hitting the ball with Djokovic during a recent holiday in Greece. She joked, "I hope I was a great hitting partner. So far, he's winning in Shanghai, so I guess I was." In other exciting action, Iga Swiatek won a tough battle against Belinda Bencic 7-6, 6-4, playing smart and staying calm in clutch moments. Swiatek said, “It was super hard and every game was tough... I'm happy I was there in the deciding moments.” Coco Gauff crushed Chinese wildcard Zhang Shuai 6-3, 6-2 in just an hour, advancing confidently to the quarter-finals. There were also notable moments like Italy’s Jasmine Paolini battling hard before an injury forced her to retire, and Jessica Pegula winning a long, tough three-set duel to reach the Wuhan quarters. This vibrant tennis fiesta in China is heating up, with big stars fighting and underdogs shocking crowds. Will Djokovic add another Shanghai title? Can Sabalenka and Swiatek keep their winning streaks? Stay tuned to feel the excitement on every serve and smash!

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Tags: Novak djokovic, Shanghai masters, Valentin vacherot, Aryna sabalenka, Wuhan open, Iga swiatek,