Novak Djokovic has finally broken his silence after vomiting and collapsing on court during his victory against Jaume Munar at the Shanghai Masters.
The 38-year-old somehow prevailed through extreme heat and humidity in three sets despite his physical ordeal, which lasted two hours and 42 minutes.
The veteran player was sick on the court surface and had to clean it up with a towel.
Following the loss of the second set, Djokovic fell to the ground and required attention from medical staff.
Novak Djokovic collapsed during his match at the Shanghai Masters
|REUTERS
The Serbian declined to participate in standard post-match press conferences.
Instead, he shared a message on Instagram, stating: "Tough day at the office. Very challenging physically. Luckily, I have the greatest support in the world."
His struggle highlighted the dangerous conditions that have plagued the Shanghai tournament, where seven competitors have already been forced to abandon their matches.
Djokovic required medical assistance during the first set but managed to continue competing.
His physical condition deteriorated as the encounter progressed, yet he displayed remarkable resilience to avoid retirement.
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Despite appearing on the verge of withdrawal, the 24-time Grand Slam winner summoned extraordinary reserves to complete the match.
He discovered renewed energy in the third set, securing his advancement to the quarter-finals against Zizou Bergs.
The Serbian's experience reflects widespread concerns about player welfare at the tournament.
Multiple competitors have voiced alarm over the extreme playing conditions, with Danish player Holger Rune demanding action from ATP officials.
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Novak Djokovic had to be checked over by a medical team during the match
|REUTERS
"I think it was like 31C and very humid, but compared to the other days it was pretty brutal, so I think there should be some kind of rule," Rune stated following his victory over Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
The 21-year-old emphasised the need for protective measures: "We can handle a certain amount of heat because, you know, we are fit, we're strong, we're mentally strong as well, but there's always a limit.
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"I think it's also important to take care of your health. We need to survive," he pleaded.
Djokovic had previously acknowledged the punishing nature of Shanghai's climate after defeating Yannick Hanfmann earlier in the week. He described the conditions as "brutal" when humidity levels approached 80 per cent.
Multiple tennis players have raised concerns over the heat in China
|REUTERS
"It's the same for every player out on the court, but it's brutal," the Serbian explained. "It's brutal when you have over 80 per cent of humidity day after day, particularly for the guys when they're playing during the day with heat, with sun, it's even more brutal."
He revealed that the extreme weather poses particular challenges for his physiology: "For me, biologically it's a bit more challenging to deal with it. But I had to really weather the storm today."