Novak Djokovic\u00a0had a spectator he wasn’t used to seeing in the stands at the 2024\u00a0Shanghai Masters, and he joked that it added to the pressure during his final match.<\/p>\n
The Serbian player reached his fifth Shanghai Masters final this year, and for the first time in his career, he lost in the final of the\u00a0ATP\u00a0Masters 1000 tournament in Shanghai.<\/p>\n
Jannik Sinner proved to be too strong, denying the 37-year-old Serbian his 100th career title. After the match,\u00a0Djokovic downplayed the importance of winning his 100th title, but he was certainly disappointed with the loss.<\/p>\n
Not because he would want to win the 100th title desperately, but because he’s an incredible competitor, and as such, he wants to win every tennis match he plays, especially that with one of his greatest rivals in the stands.<\/p>\n
A few legendary players watched the final in Shanghai:\u00a0Carlos Alcaraz, who already earned legendary status according to some;\u00a0his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, who is former World No. 1; and 20-time Grand Slam champion,\u00a0Roger Federer.<\/p>\n
When Djokovic and Federer were in the same arena in the past, the Serbian player usually emerged victorious, having won 27 out of their 50 matches. But this time, Djokovic lost, even though Federer wasn’t on the court but in the stands.<\/p>\n
During his post-match speech, the four-time Shanghai Masters champion joked that Federer’s presence added to the pressure on the final day and that he would have wished to have him on the court instead of in the stands.<\/p>\n
\n“It\u2019s nice to see Roger, I\u2019m not used to seeing you in the stands. I wish you were here on the court playing with us. It\u2019s probably the first time I\u2019m playing in front of you, so I had added pressure today. Thanks for being here!”<\/p>\n