It was Hurkacz's first victory over Djokovic after eight previous defeats and the first win by a Polish player against the Serbian veteran in 15 meetings, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
Both players arrived in Shanghai directly from the China Open tournament in Beijing, where Hurkacz retired from his semifinal against Jannik Sinner on Monday because of a leg muscle strain.
Meanwhile, Djokovic won the title the following day after Australia's Alex de Minaur retired from the final.
The fatigue of the 39-year-old Djokovic may have played a role in his Friday's loss to Hurkacz, pundits said, although unlike the Pole, he received a first-round bye in Shanghai.
The 29-year-old Pole opened his Shanghai campaign on Thursday with a 6-3, 7-6 victory over Australia’s James Duckworth.
Hurkacz was in serious trouble only once against Djokovic, when he faced two break points in the third game of the first set. He saved both and controlled the match from then on, the PAP news agency reported.
Djokovic struggled with his serve from the start, it said, landing only 37 percent of his first serves in the opening set.
"It's a special night. I've been playing Novak for like seven years, and it's always been unsuccessful, but he has been ... such a great champion for so many years," Hurkacz said after the match.
"He just won Beijing, so it's a very difficult task to play against him, but also it is a pleasure for me to share a court with him, to play such a legend of the sport," Hurkacz added.
Novak Djokovic and Hubert Hurkacz pose for a photo before their second-round men's singles match at the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament in China on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. Photo: EPA/ALEX PLAVEVSKI
Hurkacz’s next opponent will be Chinese wildcard Yi Zhou.
Hurkacz won the Shanghai tournament in 2023 by beating Russia's Andrey Rublev in the final.
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Source: IAR/PAP, bbc.com