Novak Djokovic maintained his unbeaten record at the China Open by overcoming top seed Alexander Zverev in a gritty 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory. The result sends the six-time tournament champion into the semifinals in Beijing, marking a significant performance as he navigates a season hampered by persistent physical issues.
Returning to this ATP 500 event for the first time since 2015, Djokovic faced immediate pressure from the world-class German, who fired 19 aces throughout the two-hour and 35-minute encounter. Reflecting on the slow start, Djokovic admitted, “I had a terrible start – two double faults at the beginning. It was quite cold, and honestly, I didn’t feel warmed up, but my fault. I gave him an early break, and then it was hard to come back in the first set.” Meeting for the first time in nearly 16 months, Djokovic struggled to contain the German’s power in the early stages as the 29-year-old Zverev claimed the opening set, but the Serb gradually worked his way into the match and refused to let his opponent pull away. Where Djokovic won in four sets, and Sunday’s encounter again highlighted the Serb’s ability to deliver under pressure despite a season disrupted by physical issues, the pair had not met since Roland Garros in 2025.
Tensions briefly flared during the match when Zverev contested a point, claiming faulty stadium signage had distracted him during a rally. Although the chair umpire ordered a replay of the point, which drew visible frustration from the Serbian star, Djokovic remained composed to close out the second set. The turning point arrived at 5-4, where he secured a critical break to shift the momentum in his favor. The contest was briefly interrupted by a moment of controversy when Zverev argued that the electronic advertising signage had gone dark during a rally and requested a video review after losing the point. Replays showed a section of the signage had switched off although not as Zverev was missing the forehand. Shifting the momentum in his favour after a tightly contested battle, the turning point came late in the second set when Djokovic broke at 5-4 to level the match. The Serbian struck again at 5-4 on the Zverev serve, securing the decisive break to seal the victory in two hours and 35 minutes, with little separating the pair in the third.
Djokovic ultimately sealed the win with another decisive break at 5-4 in the final set. Explaining his tactical adjustments, he noted, “I was trying to be aggressive and come to the net and change up the pace, not giving the same pattern. I am just glad that I held my nerves, played good shots at important moments, 5-4 in the second and third.” He is now set to face Daniil Medvedev, who defeated Francisco Cerundolo 7-6(4), 6-3 to reach the final four.
In other news from the Beijing courts, world number one Elena Rybakina has announced her withdrawal from the upcoming Wuhan Open, scheduled for October 12–18. The 27-year-old Kazakh, who suffered a surprise opening-round exit at the China Open against Alina Charaeva, cited a recurring foot and lower leg injury as the reason for her departure. According to rybakina, who lost to world number 118 Alina Charaeva in Beijing,, She would take time away from competition to recover.
“I’m very sorry to the fans who were looking forward to seeing me play,” Rybakina shared via Instagram. “I’ll take some time to rest and recover. Thank you for your understanding and continued support.” This ongoing health struggle previously forced her to retire from her Cincinnati quarterfinal against Iga Swiatek in August.
Despite the current setback, the season has been a landmark one for Rybakina, who captured her third Grand Slam title, ascended to the world number one spot, and secured her place in the WTA Finals. Organizers expect her to return to competitive action later this month at the Ningbo Open, where she aims to defend her title.
