"Marin didn't give me time to breathe," says Djokovic after his victory against Cilic in Shanghai

Novak Djokovic reacted to his first victory at this 2025 Shanghai tournament.

Djokovic made a successful start at the Shanghai Masters 1000. Facing Marin Cilic in the second round, the former world number one won in two sets in a match where the Croatian pushed him until the final game (7-6, 6-4).

But with experience, the player who has won 40 Masters 1000 titles and reached the final in this tournament last year, dominated Cilic for the 20th time in 22 encounters. Djokovic shared his initial thoughts after this victory against one of his favorite opponents on the tour, who is also one of his friends.

"I struggled to find my rhythm from the baseline. I lacked match practice since my last match was at the US Open. So I had a very difficult first match against Marin (Cilic), who, when he's feeling the ball well, is very dangerous and can beat anyone.

He didn't give me time to breathe, but I think I got through it with some good serving, which obviously makes me happy. I have enormous respect for Marin, for everything he has accomplished and for the person he is.

We get along very well off the court, we've known each other for many years. The last time we faced each other was three years ago, so it's great to see him back at this level," Djokovic told ATP media after his victory against the Croatian.