Novak Djokovic, the 39-year-old Serbian tennis great, claimed his seventh China Open title in Beijing on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, after Australia’s Alex de Minaur retired injured from the final with Djokovic leading 7-6(3), 0-1.
The victory gave Djokovic his 102nd ATP Tour singles title, extended his perfect China Open record to 34 wins from 34 matches and ended a wait of more than nine months for a trophy in 2026. It was also his first Beijing title since 2015.
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Djokovic produced a composed display in a fiercely contested opening set, eventually taking the tie-break 7-3 after neither player could find a break.
Both players required medical attention during the match, with de Minaur receiving treatment before the second set.
The Australian returned to the court with his left thigh heavily strapped but managed only one game before deciding he could not continue.
De Minaur, ranked ninth in the world, later apologised to the Beijing crowd for the abrupt ending.
“I want to say sorry to all the amazing fans who came to watch this match. I didn’t want to finish like this,” de Minaur said.
The Australian had been chasing his first China Open title and had already endured an injury-interrupted route to the final. Hubert Hurkacz retired during their semi-final after de Minaur had taken the opening set and led in the second.
Djokovic’s path was equally unusual. His semi-final against Daniil Medvedev ended when the Russian was disqualified after striking a spectator with a ball, with Djokovic leading 7-5, 5-3 at the time.
Before that, Djokovic had defeated Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals and home favourite Bu Yunchaokete in a demanding three-set encounter, giving him three victories over top-10 opponents during the tournament.
The Djokovic China Open title was particularly significant because it arrived after a difficult season for the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
Djokovic acknowledged that physical and health issues had made 2026 challenging, but said the Beijing tournament had restored his belief that he could still compete at the highest level.
“This year has been quite challenging for me: Lots of physical and health issues,” Djokovic said. “I was just trying to find a good feeling on the court.”
He also credited the resilience that has defined much of his career.
“The grit and the dedication and the kind of never-die spirit that really is always with me” had helped him through the demands of professional tennis, Djokovic said.
The Serbian’s latest success also produced a piece of tennis history.
Djokovic became the first player to win at least one tour-level singles title in 21 consecutive seasons, extending a record that had previously stood as one of the sport’s remarkable measures of longevity.
At 39, Djokovic also became the oldest man to win a tour-level singles title since Ken Rosewall won in Hong Kong at the age of 43 in 1977.
The 102nd title moved Djokovic to within one trophy of Roger Federer’s 103 ATP singles titles and seven behind Jimmy Connors’ Open Era record of 109.
For Djokovic, however, the significance of returning to Beijing extended beyond the numbers.
He had not played at the China Open since winning his sixth title there in 2015, making his return after 11 years particularly memorable.
“I always have high expectations of myself and always want to visualise myself with the trophy, particularly here in Beijing,” Djokovic said during the trophy ceremony.
The Serbian admitted that his expectations had to be balanced against the realities of competing at 39 and after a physically demanding season.
The victory nevertheless offered a powerful statement about his continued competitiveness.
Djokovic defeated three top-10 players during the tournament and maintained his extraordinary record in Beijing, where he has now won all 34 matches he has played.
The manner of the final meant Djokovic did not have to play a deciding second or third set, but the opening set had already demonstrated the level of competition between the two players.
De Minaur’s aggressive groundstrokes caused Djokovic problems, while Djokovic’s experience proved decisive when the set reached the tie-break.
The China Open title also means Djokovic will end 2026 with at least one singles trophy for the 21st consecutive season, preserving a remarkable streak that began in 2006.
For de Minaur, attention now turns to his fitness. The Australian is scheduled to undergo scans in Shanghai to determine the extent of the injury before the Shanghai Masters, with his qualification hopes for the ATP Finals also still in play.
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Djokovic, meanwhile, leaves Beijing with another milestone, another trophy and an unbeaten record that remains untouched after more than three decades of professional tennis.
