Novak Djokovic once again proved why he is one of the greatest players in tennis history, as he cruised past Marin Cilic in the opening round of the 2025 ATP Shanghai Masters. The Serbian legend secured a straight-sets victory by 7-6 (7-2), 6-4 at the Qizhong Forest Sports Arena, etching his name into the record books with multiple milestones.
Djokovic secures historic win in Shanghai
With his triumph over the former US Open champion, Djokovic advanced to the second round of the Shanghai Masters while breaking several long-standing records. The match itself marked history, as it was officially the oldest-ever aggregate clash between two players in an ATP Masters 1000 event. Together, Novak Djokovic and Cilic held a combined age of 75 years and 139 days, surpassing the previous record held by Feliciano Lopez and Ivo Karlovic in 2017.
The win also saw Djokovic become the oldest player in history to claim a victory in an ATP 1000 Masters match against a Grand Slam champion, according to OPTA stats.
A rivalry defined: Novak Djokovic vs. Marin Cilic
The encounter also added another chapter to Djokovic’s long-standing dominance over Marin Cilic. The Serbian now holds a commanding 20-2 career head-to-head record against the Croatian star, marking Cilic as the seventh player Djokovic has beaten 20 or more times in his illustrious career.
Here’s a look at the exclusive list of players Novak Djokovic has defeated more than 20 times in ATP-level events:
Rafael Nadal – 31-29
Roger Federer – 27-23
Andy Murray – 25-11
Stan Wawrinka – 21-6
Tomas Berdych – 25-3
Gael Monfils – 20-0
Marin Cilic – 20-2
With this, Djokovic has set a record by becoming the first player in ATP history to secure 20+ wins against seven different opponents. Remarkably, he also holds a positive win-loss record against each one of them.
Milestones in Shanghai Masters
This victory marked Novak Djokovic’s 40th career win at the ATP Shanghai Masters, making him the first player ever to achieve that milestone. Already the most successful player in the tournament’s history, Djokovic has captured the Shanghai title four times—in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2018.
Additionally, Djokovic achieved another unprecedented feat: he has now won 40 or more matches at six different ATP Masters 1000 events. This sets him apart from his closest rivals, as Rafael Nadal has managed the same at four events, while Roger Federer achieved it in three.