Novak Djokovic had a special crowd at the 2024 Shanghai Masters, and he joked that it added extra pressure to his final.

The Serbian has reached his fifth Shanghai Masters final, and for the first time, he has lost in the final match of an ATP Masters 1000 tournament in China.

Jannik Sinner continued to show his fearsome form, preventing the 37-year-old Serbian from winning his 100th career title.

Several legends of the tennis world were on hand to watch the final in Shanghai, including Carlos Alcaraz, former world number one Juan Carlos Ferrero and Swiss “Bullet Train” Roger Federer.

When Djokovic and Federer shared the stage, the Serb dominated, winning 27 of their 50 meetings. In his post-match speech, Nole joked that Federer’s presence added to the pressure.

“It’s great to see Roger, I’m not used to seeing you in the stands. I wish you were on the court with us. Maybe this is the first time I’ve played in front of you, so I had some extra pressure today. Thanks for being here!”

At the end of his time in China, the Serbian also spoke about other fans, not just the special audience he has faced for nearly two decades.

Like many other tennis players, Djokovic loves to return to China. That’s because the fans always give him a lot of affection every day.

“I don’t know what to say. It’s hard to express the gratitude I feel. It’s almost uncomfortable at times because they come every day and show so much love, care and respect, it’s unlike anywhere else in the world, that’s for sure.”

Djokovic will compete in the 2024 Six Kings Slam exhibition tournament. Along with Rafael Nadal, he has a bye from the first round. If both win or lose their matches, they will meet in the final or third-place match at the event.