Novak Djokovic Injury Scare at Shanghai Masters Raises Serious Questions

Another day, another tournament, another injury scare for Novak Djokovic. You’d think at some point the man would catch a break, but apparently, the universe enjoys seeing him grimace. The Shanghai Masters has been a complete chaotic mess this year.

Top seeds like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have already packed their bags, sidelined by illness and injuries that seem to be spreading like wildfire in the hot, humid conditions. It’s created a wide-open field, seemingly gift-wrapped for Djokovic. But, of course, it’s never that simple.

Even the seemingly invincible Serb isn’t immune to the Shanghai curse. He scraped through his previous match against Yannick Hanfmann after literally throwing up on the court. Yes, you read that right. He vomited mid-match and still won. Classic Djokovic. Now, as he takes on Jaume Munar, the drama dial has been cranked up to eleven yet again. Is the 24-time Grand Slam champion finally hitting a wall he can’t smash through?

What Happened to Djokovic’s Ankle?

Things looked rosy for Djokovic at the start of his match against the Spaniard. He broke early, storming to a 3-1 lead, and everything seemed to be going according to plan. Then, in a moment that had his fans holding their collective breath, he called for a medical timeout right after the changeover. The collective groan from his supporters was almost audible through the screen.

Grimacing, Djokovic clutched his Achilles as the trainer rushed onto the court. He was already sporting strapping on his hamstring, but this was a new, more worrying issue. He pointed directly to the back of his ankle, a spot no tennis player ever wants to feel a twinge. After a brief on-court massage that looked more tense than relaxing, he got up, held serve for 4-1, and tried to pretend everything was fine. But the pained expression on his face told a different story. The mask of composure was cracking.