Novak Djokovic almost became the latest casualty of the brutal heat that has snuffed out a number of top players’ chances at this year’s Shanghai Masters, after the 38-year-old vomited in the middle of his second-round match against Yannick Hanfmann. 

The 24-time Grand Slam champion has laid low since his US Open semi-final exit to eventual winner Carlos Alcaraz in New York, but has returned to take part in ATP 1000 contest in China. 

But this year’s tournament has come with a challenging physical dimension that could be set to produce a wildcard winner when the time comes, with a number of players fighting a losing battle against the heat.

Djokovic’s impressive peak physical fitness and commitment to wellness has kept him competitive deep into his thirties, with the Serbian serial champion famously guarded about the ‘magic potions’ he drinks on-court in a bid to aid recovery. 

But even the four-time Shanghai Masters champion was badly affected by the conditions. 

Novak Djokovic vomited a number of times on court as temperatures soared in Shanghai

The 24-time Grand Slam champion fought to keep his body heat down with ice-filled towels

After conceding the first set 6-4, Djokovic continued to struggle into the second, heading to the back of the court to throw up. 

The 38-year-old is believed to have vomited multiple times during the match, but drew upon his preternatural inner reserves to pull off a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 comeback win. 

‘It’s the same for every player out on the court, but it’s brutal,’ said Djokovic during his on-court interview. 

‘It’s brutal when you have over 80 per cent humidity day after day, particularly for the guys when they’re playing during the day with heat, with sun, it’s even more brutal.

‘For me, biologically it’s a bit more challenging to deal with it. But I had to really weather the storm today.’ 

Djokovic is far from the only star that has shared complaints about the punishing heat in Shanghai, with world No 2 Jannik Sinner forced to retire after being overcome with painful cramp in the humid conditions.  

‘It’s not like I was feeling fresh myself,’ His opponent Tallon Griekspoor admitted. ‘It was incredibly brutal out there – extremely humid, tough to hold the racket. 

‘Brutal conditions here in Shanghai all week already. I thought we were a little bit lucky to play in the evening without sun, but two hours and 36 minutes on the clock, middle of the third set… I’m sorry for him, I wish him a speedy recovery.’

The 38-year-old then threw up en route to his towel, before wiping his face with it and returning to action

Pulling off the gritty three-set win under such challenging conditions will be a great boost

Elsewhere in the draw Jannik Sinner was among the stars challenged by the humidity as the Wimbledon champion succumbed to cramp

Taylor Fritz was a casualty in punishing conditions despite attempts to cool himself down

521 miles away in Wuhan Dayana Yastremska was forced to retire as the heat took hold

Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech claimed that he had been struggling to breathe due to the weather, with the day-to-day conditions in Shanghai itself further complicating the issue. 

‘I confirm, it’s difficult to breathe on the court,’ said Rinderknech. ‘I don’t know if we realize it on TV, but on the court it’s complicated from the warm-up.

‘There’s crazy humidity, worse than in the United States in summer.

‘In addition, we know that there’s a lot of pollution in the big cities in China and that must not help to breathe well. And there’s this cloud cover that crushes everything. 

But when the sun comes out, it quickly rises above 30 degrees. All of that makes it difficult.’

With weather issues showing no sign of let up in Shanghai, elsewhere in China women’s tennis players are feeling similarly challenged. 

At the Wuhan Open, which started on Monday, play has already been suspended on the outdoor courts due to the WTA’s heat rule as humidity rises to an unpleasant 98 per cent. 

Dayana Yastremska was a day-one casualty as she retired in his opening clash to Laura Siegmund.