Djokovic returns to Shanghai Masters as Hurkacz forced to skip title defence

The Shanghai Masters is upon us as players gear up for the penultimate ATP Masters 1000 event of the 2024 season. The tournament organisers released the official draw on Monday, confirming the seeds and return of four-time champion Novak Djokovic.

Djokovic will compete on the hardcourts of Shanghai for the first time after completing a run to the quarter-finals there in 2019. He has entered the main draw seeded fourth behind Jannik Sinner (1), Alexander Zverev (2), and Carlos Alcaraz (3).

Notably, Pole Hubert Hurkacz, the defending champion, has been forced to skip the tournament reportedly due to discomfort in the right knee, which needed a surgery following an injury at Wimbledon.

DJOKOVIC’S DRAW

Djokovic will compete on the tour for the first time since suffering a third-round defeat to Australian Alexei Popyrin at the 2024 US Open. He’s chasing a fifth championship in Shanghai after having triumphed there in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2018. Following is the world No 4’s potential draw:

• First round: Bye
• Second round: Alex Michelsen/Bu Yunchaokete
• Third round: Flavio Cobolli/Stan Wawrinka/Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
• Fourth round: Frances Tiafoe/Roman Safiullin/Alexander Bublik
• Quarter-finals: Andrey Rublev/Alexei Popyrin/Grigor Dimitrov
• Semi-finals: Taylor Fritz/Holger Rune/Alexander Zverev
• Final: Jannik Sinner/Carlos Alcaraz/Daniil Medvedev

SINNER’S DRAW

In the 2024 season, Jannik Sinner has already raked up six titles, including the Australian Open, US Open, Cincinnati Masters, and Miami Masters. With a 57-5 win-loss record for 2024, the first seed is the heavy favorite in Shanghai. Following is his possible path:

• First round: Bye
• Second round: Taro Daniel/Qualifier
• Third round: Pablo Carreno Busta/Tomas Martin Etcheverry
• Fourth round: Arthur Fils/Lorenzo Sonego/Ben Shelton
• Quarter-finals: Stefanos Tsitsipas/Felix Auger-Aliassime/Daniil Medvedev
• Semi-finals: Carlos Alcaraz/Tommy Paul/Casper Ruud
• Final: Andrey Rublev/Grigor/Dimitrov/Novak Djokovic

ALCARAZ’S DRAW

World No 3 Carlos Alcaraz exited the 2023 Shanghai Masters with an unforeseen loss to Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in the fourth round. He finds himself seeded third in the men’s singles draw this year, with French Open and Wimbledon crowns under his belt. Here’s the list of opponents the Spaniard is likely to face:

• First round: Bye
• Second round: Juncheng Shang/Coleman Wong
• Third round: Yibing Wu/Nicolas Jarry
• Fourth round: Gael Monfils/Marin Cilic/Ugo Humbert
• Quarter-finals: Tommy Paul/Alejandro Tabilo/Casper Ruud
• Semi-finals: Jannik Sinner/Ben Shelton/Daniil Medvedev
• Final: Andrey Rublev/Taylor Fritz/Alexander Zverev

FIRST ROUND MATCHES

Marin Cilic vs Arthur Cazaux: Former world No 3 Marin Cilic will be up against the youthful Frenchman Arthur Cazaux in the first round. The two haven’t faced each other on the tour yet. Cilic recently completed a triumphant run at Hangzhou Open.

Stan Wawrinka vs Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard: Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka has entered the draw as a wildcard. He will face Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in his opener. The two haven’t locked horns yet.

POTENTIAL MATCH-UPS TO FOLLOW

Jannik Sinner vs Medvedev — Potential Quarter-finals: Sinner and Medvedev are on a collision course for the quarter-finals in Shanghai. The two have battled on court 13 times thus far, with the head-to-head standing at 7-6 in Medvedev’s favor. However, in 2024, Sinner has defeated the Russian three times in four meetings, including the Australian Open final, Wimbledon semi-final, and US Open quarterfinal.

Alexander Zverev vs Taylor Fritz — Potential Quarter-finals: Zverev and Fritz have formed one intense rivalry in the recent past. Their head-to-head tally favors Fritz 6-5, with the American prevailing over the German in their last three battles.

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