$150
Djokovic aims to extend dominance as Cilic seeks breakthrough in Shanghai
Fourth seed and last year’s finalist Novak Djokovic will face unseeded Marin Cilic in the second round of the Shanghai Masters. Djokovic received a bye as a top seed, while Cilic advanced with a straight-sets upset of qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili.
For Djokovic, the chase for a record 25th Grand Slam has defined his 2025 season. Though the milestone has eluded him so far, the Serb reached the semifinals at all four majors, beginning with retiring against Alexander Zverev in Melbourne with a left leg muscle tear, then falling to Jannik Sinner at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon before Carlos Alcaraz stopped him at the US Open. Still, Djokovic added his 100th career title in Geneva and reached the Miami final, where he was stunned by Jakub Mensik. Across the year, he has struck 345 aces while winning 76% of first-serve points, 32% of return points, and converting 42% of 354 break chances.
Cilic’s 2025 season has been defined by resilience. After a prolonged recovery from knee surgeries in January 2023 and May 2024. Though it wasn’t like he didn’t play, infact he won the 2024 Hangzhou Open, but mostly his performance has been limited. He missed the early months of the year, returning to Doha with limited preparation. Since then, he has rebuilt momentum, winning Challenger titles in Girona and Nottingham II and making a finals run in Challenger Madrid. His standout main-tour performance came in Dubai, where he reached the quarterfinals.
Novak Djokovic dominates his rivalry with Marin Cilic, holding a commanding 19-2 head-to-head lead. Their battle stretches back 17 years to Dubai 2008, where Djokovic won in straight sets and went on to claim the next 13 meetings. Cilic finally broke through in 2016 in Paris with a straight-sets win and followed it up with another victory at the 2018 London finals. But the success was short-lived, as Djokovic quickly reasserted control, beating Cilic again in Cincinnati that same year and never looking back.
Since then, the Serbian has won their last six encounters, with the lone anomaly coming in Madrid in 2019 when Cilic withdrew due to food poisoning. Otherwise, Djokovic has kept a firm grip on the rivalry, making their head-to-head one of the most lopsided among modern greats.
| Year | Event | Round | Winner | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Tel Aviv | Final | Novak Djokovic | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2021 | Davis Cup Finals | Semifinal | Novak Djokovic | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 2019 | Madrid | Quarterfinal | Novak Djokovic | W/O |
| 2018 | Nitto ATP Finals | Round Robin | Novak Djokovic | 7-6(7), 6-2 |
| 2018 | Paris | Quarterfinal | Novak Djokovic | 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 |
| 2018 | Cincinnati | Semifinal | Novak Djokovic | 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 |
| 2018 | London | Final | Marin Cilic | 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-3 |
| 2016 | Paris | Quarterfinal | Marin Cilic | 6-4, 7-6(2) |
| 2015 | US Open | Semifinal | Novak Djokovic | 6-0, 6-1, 6-2 |
| 2015 | Wimbledon | Quarterfinal | Novak Djokovic | 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 |
| 2015 | Monte Carlo | Quarterfinal | Novak Djokovic | 6-0, 6-3 |
| 2014 | ATP Finals | Round Robin | Novak Djokovic | 6-1, 6-1 |
| 2014 | Wimbledon | Quarterfinal | Novak Djokovic | 6-1, 3-6, 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-2 |
| 2014 | Roland Garros | Round of 32 | Novak Djokovic | 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-4 |
| 2014 | Indian Wells | Round of 16 | Novak Djokovic | 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 |
| 2012 | Cincinnati | Quarterfinal | Novak Djokovic | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 2011 | Canada | Round of 16 | Novak Djokovic | 7-5, 6-2 |
| 2010 | Davis Cup | Round Robin | Novak Djokovic | 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 |
| 2009 | Beijing | Final | Novak Djokovic | 6-2, 7-6(4) |
| 2009 | Dubai | Quarterfinal | Novak Djokovic | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 2008 | US Open | Round of 32 | Novak Djokovic | 6-7(7), 7-5, 6-4, 7-6(0) |
| 2008 | Dubai | Round of 32 | Novak Djokovic | 6-4, 6-3 |
| Novak Djokovic | Category | Marin Cilic |
| 5 | Current Ranking | 94 |
| 1155-232 | Career W-L | 594-347 |
| 31-10 | YTD W-L | 6-10 |
| 100 | Career Titles | 21 |
| 24 | Grand Slams | 1 |
| 1 | YTD Titles | 0 |
Cilic’s comeback season shows grit, but Djokovic’s relentless pursuit of his 25th Grand Slam and dominant history in this rivalry make him the expected winner, though a long battle could test the Serb’s resolve.
Prediction: Novak Djokovic in straight sets
At -1200, Novak Djokovic is the clear favorite against Marin Cilic (+710), with his superior head-to-head record and consistent deep runs in 2025 making him the likely victor.
Here are the betting odds according to FanDuel:
Novak Djokovic: -1200
Marin Cilic: +710
Here are the odds for total games as well as total sets for both players (sourced via FanDuel):
Djokovic to Win Set-1: -480
Cilic to Win Set-1: +360
Djokovic to Win Set-2: -650
Cilic to Win Set-2: +430
(According to FanDuel: FanDuel offers exclusive promo codes, bonus deals and accurate odds for users upon signing up. Use FanDuel to ace your betting game in all sports!)
Mandatory Image Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
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