Shanghai Tennis Masters: Wu Yibing lost to Zverev and Djokovic was upset

China News Service, Shanghai, October 9 (Reporter Miao Lu) The second round of the 2026 Shanghai Tennis Masters singles will be held on the 9th. Chinese player Wu Yibing and Serbian star Novak Djokovic both lost by a huge score of 0:2 and both stopped in the second round.

Wu Yibing faced the German star Alexander Zverev, who won two Grand Slams this year. For Wu Yibing, 2026 is what he calls "the first truly healthy season." Over the past few years, he has repeatedly cycled between injuries and comebacks. At the just-concluded Nagoya Asian Games, he won the silver medal in men's singles tennis. Then, even though he still had a viral cold, he came to Shanghai to compete non-stop.

In the first set, Wu Yibing's second serve was broken by Zverev. The German relied on this break advantage to take the lead at 6:4 in half an hour. In the second set, Zverev realized a break point in Wu Yibing's first serve, but in the fourth game, Wu Yibing used a wonderful high-pressure ball in front of the net to break serve. In the 11th game, Zverev created a break point, but was almost injured during the move. The two men each held serve and entered the tiebreaker. Zverev relied on his richer experience to win 7:4, and finally advanced to the next round with a big score of 2:0.

In contrast, Djokovic, who appeared in the evening, was upset. The 39-year-old Djokovic has just won the men's singles championship at the China Tennis Open and won the 102nd championship trophy of his career. At the same time, he is also a four-time champion of the Shanghai Tennis Masters. He has never stopped before the quarterfinals in his previous 11 appearances.

Facing the Polish player Hurkacs, currently ranked 34th in the world, he lost two sets in a row, 4:6 and 3:6, setting his worst record in the Shanghai Masters. Hurkacs is the champion of the 2023 tournament, and this is the first time he has returned to Shanghai to compete after winning the championship.

After the game, Djokovic said that Hurkacs' serve was very strong and heavy, and it was very difficult to return. "I was a little tired and (not energetic) enough. I couldn't find the feeling of hitting the ball on the court at all. This court is super fast and completely different from Beijing. I haven't been able to adjust. I got him in the first game. It was a bad luck for me. If you lose the serve, it is actually enough to lose the whole game."

He also said that despite being eliminated early in Shanghai, this trip to China was still a very positive journey. "I think it doesn't matter. I have spent a good week in Beijing. I am looking forward to taking a little rest and getting ready for the indoor season." He also revealed that he plans to only participate in Paris (Masters), hoping to achieve good results by then.