But Djokovic fell victim to another injury issue after pulling up with an apparent leg problem early on in his last four clash against Vacherot. The Serb fought valiantly but was clearly hampered against his Monegasque opponent, who would go on to lift the title 24 hours later.
Speaking after the match – Vacherot was full of praise for Djokovic while acknowledging the physical challenges his 38-year-old opponent now faces.
“I’m surprised by how I handled it mentally,” he said post-match. “Novak immediately broke my serve, playing just as I thought he would. I was delighted to break back as quickly as possible. Then it became a battle.
“We know Novak is 38 years old. It’s already incredible what he is doing at that age, which is very tough for his body.
“The truth is, I had to stay focused. I had so many thoughts in my head, even when I had just won the first set and all.
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“Still, every time I had small thoughts, I simply attributed them to thinking about the next return I was going to make or the next serve I was going to execute.”
Djokovic’s physical problems have been mounting for some time now. The former world No.1 suffered a knee injury which saw him pull out of Roland Garros mid-tournament last year.
Separate issues arose in 2025, with Djokovic retiring through injury from his semi-final clash against Zverev in January’s Australian Open. Another injury then rose at Wimbledon as he limped to defeat against Sinner in the last four.
Then, the 24-time grand slam champion looked physically below par in his semi-final loss to Alcaraz in September’s US Open. Now, another injury has arisen which could spell the end of his 2025 season and push him closer to retirement.
Djokovic refused to answer questions about his injury and upcoming schedule when asked after Saturday’s defeat to Vacherot.
“No. Next question, please,” he replied. On his opponent’s famous victory, he said: “I want to congratulate Valentin for reaching his first Masters final. Going from qualifications, it’s an amazing story,” the No. 4 seed in Shanghai said.
“I told him at the net that he’s had an amazing tournament, but more so his attitude is very good, and his game was amazing as well. So it’s all about him. I wish him all the best in the finals, and the better player won today.”