The Shanghai Masters has taken quite a turn this year. With top seeds Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, among others, off the court due to illness and injury, the path is wide open for the final 16. Novak Djokovic is cruising through the Masters 1000—well, almost. He booked his round of 16 spot after edging out German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann 4-6, 7-5, 6-3. But in the humid Shanghai conditions, even Nole hit a wall. He threw up mid-match before pushing through to victory. Now, he’s facing Jaume Munar. But is it feeling a bit better?

The Serb started Tuesday’s match against the Spaniard looking sharp, breaking early for a 3-1 lead in the first set. Then the momentum shifted. Right after the changeover, he called for a medical timeout. Fans on X caught it instantly, one post reading, “MTO for Novak’s ankle, right after the break. It hurts. ❤️🙏.”

Djokovic grimaced and clutched his Achilles as the trainer checked on him at 3-1. His hamstring was already strapped, but he pointed directly to the back of his ankle while receiving treatment. After a quick on-court massage, he continued and held serve for 4-1. Yet the pain was written all over his face.

At the next changeover, he called the physio again, biting down on his towel in frustration. Commentator Ryan Harrison observed, “He’s definitely pointing at the Achilles behind,” as replays showed the exact moment Djokovic winced after a hard movement. Through it all, the 24-time Grand Slam champion kept fighting, refusing to hand over the court easily.

This is a developing story…