ROLEX SHANGHAI MASTERS

October 5, 2025

Novak Djokovic

Mixed Zone

N. DJOKOVIC/Y. Hanfmann

4-6, 7-5, 6-3

Q. Talk about the conditions today.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, it was a great battle. I think Yannick deserved great credit and round of applause for the performance. He was close to win it. He was, I think, a better player, controlling the match for a set and a half. I was really hanging on, really had to dig deep to stay in the match, stay alive, and that's what I've done.

It felt like towards the end of the second set I started to read his serve better. Whenever he had the ball on the racquet he was playing so fast, he put me always on the back foot. Obviously proud to overcome his big challenge.

I want to thank the Chinese people for supporting me tonight, their energy was amazing.

Q. Do you think the fan support helps you a lot?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Of course. Absolutely. As I said on the court, their support is something that motivated me to come this year and play in Shanghai. These first two matches are a testament to how good and how welcome I feel here, in China in general, and Shanghai specifically. I'm very grateful and blessed to be able to experience an atmosphere like tonight.

Q. After the match I heard you say thank you for Wang Yibo to come here. I want to know, did you invite him to come here privately, and how do you think about his tennis level?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, we actually met last year. Before Shanghai, we went to the China wall, Great Wall, and we had an event for Lacoste, which is also his sponsor. It was a beautiful event, one of the most iconic type of events that I personally have done. It was raining, but still we managed to play some balls in the mini court that was installed at the Great Wall.

So since then we've been in touch, and obviously following each other. It was really nice that he was here tonight. A few days ago after my match I heard that there's a possibility that he might come. Obviously he's a big, big star in China, and a really nice guy. I was really thrilled and also proud to have him as a guest today, and I want to thank him for his support.

Q. Other than the third game of the opening set where you faced break point, you didn't face a break point for the rest of the match. In the third set you only lost five points on serve. Talk about just a pretty solid performance from a serving point.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, life on the court is easier or more difficult if you're serving good or bad. The first couple of matches here I must say that probably stands out as the best shot in my game.

It makes a difference, you know. It made a difference for him. He broke my serve early in the first, and he held his serve comfortably all the way until the end of the second. So even though the courts are slower than they were last year, and the balls as well. But if you're hitting your spots well with the serve, it's tough, it's tough to break serve.

I'm really glad with the way I'm serving. I need to improve my game overall from the baseline. I know what needs to be better, and hopefully it will in the next round already.

Q. They way how you wrote the Chinese character of your name, is that probably better than two nights ago? Did you do your homework again?

NOVAK DJOKOVIC: A little bit. A little bit. The fans showed me. I have to go through my characters. I knew quite a few of them, but I have lost them somewhere, and I haven't been really working on them, so I have to update my Chinese knowledge.