"I'm just trying to stay alive" - Novak Djokovic makes feelings clear about 'challenging' Shanghai Masters heat conditions after reaching SF

Novak Djokovic beat Zizou Bergs 6-3, 7-5 on Thursday, October 9, to book his place in the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters 2025. He has advanced to his record 80th semifinal at the Masters 1000 level. However, he was equal parts ecstatic and relieved after getting through another tough match in the brutal conditions at the venue.

The unbearable heat in Shanghai has caused the downfall of quite a few players since the start of the tournament. Even defending champion Jannik Sinner couldn't make it through his match, eventually retiring due to severe cramps in the third round.

Djokovic has felt the ill-effects of the harsh weather as well. He threw up multiple times during his third-round match against Yannick Hanfmann, and had his vitals checked after he collapsed during his fourth-round contest against Jaume Munar. However, the 38-year-old found a way to persevere time and time again.

Following his win over Bergs, the former World No. 1 spoke of the challenging conditions in Shanghai in his post-match interview. It required a massive effort on his part to seal the deal in the heat, and the tournament has been taxing not only for him but also for other players. He also spoke of his tactics to beat Bergs, and gave credit to his younger rival for playing a good match.

"Pretty much everything. I'm just trying to stay alive, to be honest, on the court. First encounter with Bergs, great guy, obviously a lot of firepower in his game. At times I just tried to play an extra ball in the court, make him miss the ball. That's what happened. "Should've closed out the match at 5-4, he played a good game and I was a little too passive. Just very challenging conditions these days for all the players. Just trying to stay alive on the court and glad to overcome this hurdle," Djokovic said.

Djokovic is a four-time champion at the Shanghai Masters, and is the most successful player in the history of the tournament. He is now one win away from having the opportunity to further extend his record.

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Novak Djokovic will face Valentin Vacherot in the semifinals of Shanghai Masters 2025

Novak Djokovic at the Shanghai Masters 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Novak Djokovic will take on qualifier Valentin Vacherot in the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters 2025 on Saturday, October 11. The latter is in the midst of a dream run, reaching his maiden Masters 1000 semifinal ranked No. 204. He has already taken out four seeded players en route to the last four.

Vacherot's giant-killing spree started with an upset win over 14th seed Alexander Bublik. 20th seed Tomas Machac, 27th seed Tallon Griekspoor and 10th seed Holger Rune were his next scalps. He will now aim to score the biggest win of his career by taking down Djokovic.

However, that won't be an easy task for Vacherot. Djokovic has a 22-0 record against everyone ranked outside the top 20 in Shanghai. The tournament is one of his favorite hunting grounds, and he will be keen to capitalize on this opportunity to reach yet another final at the venue.

Edited by Rohit