Preview 2024 Shanghai Masters Final: Novak Djokovic battles Jannik Sinner in eighth career clash

Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic both secured victories in their Shanghai Masters semifinals, setting up a dream final between the two. This will mark their eighth career meeting, with Djokovic currently leading the head-to-head 4-3.

Sinner has been unstoppable, boasting a 64-6 record this season and securing his spot as the year-end World No. 1, regardless of the remaining results, with a Masters 1000 and the ATP Finals still ahead. Djokovic, on the other hand, is seeking his first ATP-level title of the season.

Djokovic is the top champion in Shanghai, having won four titles, and the crowd has shown great admiration for the 24-time Grand Slam champion. This season has been uneven for the 37-year-old Serbian, who is determined to keep fighting. His last appearance was at the US Open, where he was unexpectedly defeated in the third round by Alexei Popyrin.

In Shanghai, Djokovic seems to have regained his confidence. He has dropped just one set so far, against Jakub Mensik in the quarterfinals (6-7, 6-1, 6-4), and recently overcame Taylor Fritz, saving a set point in the second set.

Sinner, meanwhile, comes into the final having won 20 of his last 21 matches. His path in Shanghai has been more challenging, with victories over the likes of Tomas Martin Etcheverry (31st seed), Ben Shelton (16th), Daniil Medvedev (5th), and Tomas Machac (30th).

Heading into the clash with Djokovic, Sinner is considered the slight favorite, given his current form. The Italian has won three of their last four encounters, including the 2024 Australian Open semifinals earlier this year. As Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz appear to be leading the new generation at the top of tennis, Djokovic will have another chance to prove his resilience, aiming for the 100th title of his career against none other than the current World No. 1.

Their first meeting was at the 2021 Monte-Carlo Masters, where Djokovic claimed a comfortable victory (6-4, 6-2) against a 20-year-old Sinner, who was still finding his footing on the tour. A year later, the Italian had Djokovic on the ropes in the Wimbledon quarterfinals, leading by two sets. However, Djokovic staged a remarkable comeback to win 5-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 en route to the title.

In the latter half of 2023, Sinner and Djokovic dominated the tour, facing off five times on the biggest stages through early 2024. Sinner hinted at his rise to the top when he reached the 2023 Wimbledon semifinals but was soundly defeated by Djokovic in straight sets.

They met again at the ATP Finals, where Sinner pulled off an epic victory in the round-robin stage (7-5, 6-7, 7-6). Djokovic then won the title in the final after a straight-sets win (6-3, 6-3). However, Sinner got his revenge a week later, defeating Djokovic in the Davis Cup semifinals (6-2, 2-6, 7-5), a crucial win that helped Italy secure its first Davis Cup title in 47 years.

Their last encounter was in the 2024 Australian Open semifinals, where Sinner displayed the changing of the guard in tennis. Sinner ended Djokovic's 33-match winning streak in Melbourne, eliminating him decisively 6-1, 6-2, 6-7(6), 6-3 to reach the final, where he claimed his first Grand Slam title.