Novak Djokovic produced another trademark comeback at the China Open, defeating top seed Alexander Zverev 4 6, 6 4, 6 4 to reach the semi finals in Beijing. The 39 year old Serbian recovered from a difficult opening set against the world number two, who is the reigning French Open and US Open champion, before turning the contest around with decisive breaks late in the second and third sets. According to Reuters, Zverev struck 19 aces during the two hour and 34 minute encounter, but Djokovic’s experience and composure in the crucial moments ultimately proved decisive. The official China Open report described the match as Djokovic’s biggest test of the tournament so far.
The victory extends Djokovic’s perfect China Open record to 32 consecutive matches and gives him a new ATP record for the most consecutive victories at a tournament from a player’s debut. The previous mark was held by Rafael Nadal, who won his first 31 matches at Roland Garros. Djokovic, a six time China Open champion making his first appearance at the Beijing tournament since 2015, said after the match that it was one of the two best performances of his year. “This is probably one of the two best matches that I played this year,” Djokovic said, according to the China Open, highlighting the significance of defeating a player he described as probably the best in the world at the moment.
Djokovic now faces Daniil Medvedev in the semi finals as he continues his pursuit of a seventh China Open title and a first trophy of 2026. Medvedev defeated Francisco Cerundolo 7 6, 6 3 to secure his place in the last four, setting up another high profile meeting with Djokovic, who leads their head to head record 10 5. The result also keeps Djokovic’s late season campaign firmly in focus, with the 24 time Grand Slam champion demonstrating that he remains capable of overcoming the leading players on the ATP Tour despite entering the tournament without a title this year. For Zverev, the defeat ends his Beijing title bid and slows his push towards the world number one ranking.
