ATP player left 'shocked' by what Novak Djokovic did against Marin Cilic which is 'so rare' to see

Novak Djokovic secured his spot in round three of the Shanghai Masters with an impressive win.

Playing his first match since the US Open, Djokovic defeated Marin Cilic in straight sets, 7-6, 6-4.

The Serb was excellent throughout, barring a minor blip at the end of the second set, where he grew frustrated with his coaching staff.

Djokovic’s efforts were well appreciated by the fans in Shanghai, who applauded their four-time champion after the match.

He also left one of his fellow ATP stars impressed, with the player claiming he did something ‘shocking’ against Cilic.

Liam Broady was ‘shocked’ by Novak Djokovic’s serving performance in Shanghai

On commentary for Sky Sports, former top 100 player Liam Broady analysed the stats from Djokovic’s win over Cilic.

“84% first serves won, I think we knew that was going to be high from Novak [Djokovic], considering how many aces he hit in the match. 68% first serves in,” he said.

“What shocks me is how high that first serve percentage is and then the amount of first serve points won behind it.

“It’s so rare to get a player who has high stats on both of those. He will be pleased to be progressing.”

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Broady proceeded to comment on the incident between Djokovic and his coaching team at the end of the match.

“Fascinating, isn’t it? He’s so competitive. Seemed so frustrated, and then the second he secures the win, the relief is dripping off him; he’s having a laugh with [Marin] Cilic at the net. It’s like Jekyll and Hyde,” he said.

“I’m not sure if the box just voluntarily tried to offer the information or if he asked for the information and didn’t like it.

“Sometimes, if the box is a bit stressed as well, they can try to help the player solve it, maybe when they are not looking for that, and it can really irritate them.”

The Brit was also keen to praise Cilic, who played his part in an entertaining second-round match.

“It was such a good performance, there aren’t many players I’ve seen that have actually frustrated the Djokovic backhand, but it looked like he was almost afraid of that exchange today, Novak,” said Broady.

“But I mean, he managed to find his way around it as we said, in a few key moments, finding the Cilic forehand, and it just didn’t hold up under the pressure as he would have liked it to.

“He [Djokovic] will be so pleased to have come through that; that is not an easy match, especially having not played since the US Open either.

“He knows as well as anyone, the more he can get under the belt here, the better.”

As Broady mentioned, Djokovic hadn’t played a match since the US Open, as he continues to play a lighter schedule than his ATP rivals.

The Shanghai Masters is just the fifth Masters 1000 event the Serb has played this year, and only the second where he has won a match…

Novak Djokovic’s 2025 Masters 1000 record

In 2025, Djokovic has played five Masters 1000 events: Indian Wells, Miami Open, Monte-Carlo Masters, Madrid Open, and the Shanghai Masters.

By his standards, Djokovic has endured a relatively poor Masters 1000 campaign, losing his opening match at three of the five events he’s played.

He does, however, have a chance to improve his record in Shanghai, as he searches for a record-extending 41st Masters 1000 title.

Looking to move one step closer to title number 41, Djokovic will play Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann in the third round of the Shanghai Masters on Sunday, October 5.

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