Novak Djokovic brushed aside ongoing injury-related struggles and produced a trademark comeback to defeat top seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 for a place in the China Open semifinals, extending his unbeaten record in the tournament.
Playing the ATP 500 event in Beijing for the first time since 2015, the six-time champion was pushed to the limit by reigning French Open and US Open champion Zverev, who delivered 19 aces in the match on Sunday.
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.
"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," Djokovic said after the hard-fought encounter.
"I gave him an early break, and then it was hard to come back in the first set."
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 precisely as Zverev was missing his forehand. The chair umpire ordered the point to be replayed, prompting a frustrated and animated exchange from Djokovic, who felt the ruling disrupted the flow of the game at a critical juncture.
Held My Nerves
The turning point of the quarterfinal clash came late in the second set when Djokovic broke at 5-4 to level the match at one set apiece, shifting the psychological momentum firmly in his favour after a tightly contested and physically demanding battle.
With little separating the pair in the deciding third set, the Serbian veteran struck again at 5-4 on the Zverev serve, securing the decisive break to seal the victory in two hours and 35 minutes of gripping tennis on the hard courts of Beijing.
"I was trying to be aggressive and come to the net and change up the pace, not giving the same pattern," Djokovic explained regarding his tactical adjustments as the match progressed.
"I am just glad that I held my nerves, played good shots at important moments, 5-4 in the second and third."
The pair had not met on the professional tour since Roland Garros in 2025, where Djokovic also emerged victorious in four sets. Sunday’s encounter once again highlighted the 24-time Grand Slam champion’s remarkable ability to elevate his game and deliver under intense pressure, despite navigating a season thoroughly disrupted by physical and health-related issues.
With the victory, Djokovic moved a step closer to capturing a seventh China Open title and securing an elusive first tournament trophy of the year. At the same time, the defeat denied Zverev another crucial opportunity to strengthen his bid for the coveted ATP world number one ranking.
Looking ahead in the tournament, Djokovic will face Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals after the Russian defeated Francisco Cerundolo 7-6(4), 6-3 earlier in the day.
Djokovic has been plagued by undisclosed health and physical issues throughout the season, candidly admitting in recent interviews that "this year has been a big, big struggle for me" as he attempts to manage his schedule and maintain peak competitiveness against a younger generation of tennis stars.
Rybakina Withdraws from Wuhan After China Open Exit
In parallel developments at the elite levels of professional tennis in China, world number one Elena Rybakina has officially withdrawn from this month’s upcoming Wuhan Open due to a persistent foot injury, tournament organisers announced on Sunday.
The withdrawal comes just a day after the Kazakh star suffered a shock defeat in her opening match at the China Open, falling in straight sets to world number 118 Alina Charaeva.
Rybakina stated that she would take necessary time away from competition to fully recover and rehabilitate the lingering lower leg and foot problem that has intermittently derailed her stellar 2026 campaign.
"I’m very sorry to the fans who were looking forward to seeing me play," Rybakina said in a statement posted on the tournament’s official Instagram account.
"I’ll take some time to rest and recover. Thank you for your understanding and continued support."
The 27-year-old has been managing the foot issue for several months. The injury previously forced her to abruptly retire from her quarterfinal match against Iga Swiatek at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati back in August.
Despite that physical setback, Rybakina managed a miraculous recovery in time for the US Open in New York, where she captured her third career Grand Slam title, ascended to the summit of the WTA world rankings as the world number one, and made history by becoming the first singles player to mathematically qualify for the prestigious season-ending WTA Finals.
Following her recovery period, Rybakina is next expected to return to competition later this month at the Ningbo Open in China, where she will attempt to defend her title from the previous year.
The Wuhan Open, a major WTA 1000 event, is scheduled to take place from October 12 to 18, with organisers now forced to proceed without the reigning world number one at the top of the singles draw.