Novak Djokovic collapses and calls for doctor days after vomiting at Shanghai Masters

Novak Djokovic was required to have his vitals checked during his round-of-16 match against Jaume Munar at the Shanghai Masters. The Serbian had expressed his struggles with the conditions in China earlier this week before his bout.

Humidity levels had occasionally crept close to the 80 per cent mark in Shanghai."It's same for every player out on the court, but it's brutal," he said.

“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. For me, biologically it's a bit more challenging to deal with it. But I had to really weather the storm today. Yannick played an incredible match from the beginning.”

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Djokovic huffed and puffed throughout the match, visibly exasperated during the contest. The Serbian won the last 16 match to reach the quarter-final of the Masters for the 11th time.

He beat Munar 6-3, 5-7 and 6-2 in two hours and 41 minutes. Following the first set, it was in the second that he began to feel the struggles of the fierce heat.

Medical officials were spotted checking his vitals during the game, suggesting that Djokovic might retire. Television cameras then spotted him looking queasy, with Djokovic believed to have thrown up on the court.

The 38-year-old had previously thrown up multiple times during his match against Yannick Hanfmann in the third round. Djokovic prevailed 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the third-round match.

Holger Rune has hit out at the conditions, asking why the ATP doesn't have a heat rule in place. The Dane was forced to have his blood pressure taken and requested ice to cool his body temperature during a medical timeout in his match against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

"I think there should be a heat rule like there are in the Grand Slam," he said. "I think every player would agree on that. Today was better, as you say, today was less hot.

"But again, it was less hot, but if it was more normal temperature today would be very hot. I think it was like 31 degrees and very humid. But compared to the other days it was pretty brutal.

“So I think there should be some kind of rule. 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. I think it’s also important to take care of your health. We need to survive.”

Djokovic will meet Zizou Bergs in the quarter-final for a spot in the semi-final. Alongside the tough heat, the Serb also overcame pain in his left ankle to defeat Munar.

In each of his Shangai appearances, Djokovic has reached the quarter-finals in every single one. He is the record holder for lifting the trophy with the No.5 aiming to make it title number five.