Top seeds confirmed for Shanghai Masters: Novak Djokovic could face tough challenges after ranking dip

Monday, 30 September 2024 at 05:30

The top seeds for the Shanghai Masters have been confirmed, and Novak Djokovic could face a challenging path following his recent ranking drop. The 24-time Grand Slam champion hasn't had the success he anticipated this season, and his ranking is now affecting his tournament draws.

Djokovic has only played eight tournaments this year, including the four Grand Slams, but has yet to claim a title on the Tour. His third-round exit at the US Open put his ATP Finals participation in doubt, as he lost a significant number of points after failing to defend his title.

Despite these struggles, Djokovic’s season wasn’t entirely negative. He achieved one of the most significant milestones of his career, winning the gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. "When I take everything into consideration, this is probably the biggest sporting success I've ever had in my career," said Nole, who had previously failed to win gold in four Olympic appearances.

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Next up for Djokovic is the Shanghai Masters, his first tournament since his loss at Flushing Meadows in late August. The former world No. 1 has won the Shanghai title four times, most recently in 2018 when he defeated Borna Coric in the final.

This season hasn’t matched the success of 2023, when Djokovic claimed three Slam titles, but he remains ranked world No. 4, thanks to his ATP Finals and Paris Masters titles last year, a Wimbledon final this year, and a semifinal appearance at the Australian Open. In the ATP Race, Djokovic is currently 9th and outside the qualification zone for the ATP Finals.

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As top seeds were announced, Djokovic was confirmed as the 4th seed, impacting his potential draw. The top two seeds are Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev, meaning Djokovic could face one of them in the semifinals and the other in a possible final. On the bright side, he’s guaranteed to avoid Alcaraz (3rd seed) until a potential final.

In the quarterfinals, Daniil Medvedev (5th seed) and recent US Open finalist Taylor Fritz seem like tough challenges, along with Andrey Rublev (6th) and Casper Ruud (8th), both of whom have wins against Djokovic.