Former world number one Novak Djokovic secured his seventh China Open title in unusual circumstances, capturing the 102nd title of his career without needing to hit a match point in either his semi-final or the final.
The Serbian star was awarded a place in the championship match after his semi-final opponent, Daniil Medvedev, was controversially disqualified for hitting a spectator with a ball. Djokovic then clinched the tournament itself following the premature retirement of Australia’s Alex de Minaur in the final.
De Minaur, who was forced to leave the court for a medical timeout after a fiercely contested first set, valiantly attempted to continue playing with a heavy bandage strapped around his left thigh. However, the physical toll proved too much, and he was forced to concede defeat after winning just the opening game of the second set. At the time of the retirement, Djokovic narrowly held the advantage, with the scoreboard reading 7-6 (7-3), 0-1.
The victory extends Djokovic’s extraordinary, flawless record at the Beijing ATP 500 event to an unblemished 34 wins and zero losses. Throughout his 34 matches at the tournament, the 39-year-old has dropped a mere five sets, notching 12 victories against top-ten opponents along the way.
The milestone 102nd tour-level title of his illustrious career moves him to within striking distance of Roger Federer’s Open Era record of 103 titles, leaving only Jimmy Connors ahead of them both with 109. Furthermore, this triumph provides a massive boost to Djokovic’s qualification campaign for the prestigious Nitto ATP Finals later in the year, proving that he remains a formidable force even as physical and health challenges test the latter stages of his career.
Reflecting on his remarkable journey in the Chinese capital, Djokovic shared his candid thoughts during the post-match trophy presentation.
"It’s been 11 years since I last played here," Djokovic explained to the crowd. "I always have high expectations of myself and always want to visualise myself with the trophy, particularly here in Beijing, a place where I have never lost. But I was also aware that reality is a little bit different these days."
The final itself began as a high-intensity baseline battle, with both players testing each other’s resilience from the very first game. De Minaur came agonizingly close to breaking Djokovic’s serve in the fifth game of the opening set, only for the veteran Serbian to produce a masterclass of defensive tennis, saving the crucial break point with a stunning full-stretch backhand down the sideline.
The Australian held firm through the remainder of the set, pushing the contest into a tie-break. However, unforced errors began to creep into the 27-year-old’s game under mounting pressure, allowing Djokovic to seize control of the breaker and edge the opening set.
During the subsequent set break, an exhausted Djokovic also required medical attention and treatment, admitting later that he was genuinely surprised when De Minaur ultimately signaled that he could no longer continue.
"This year has been quite challenging for me: Lots of physical and health issues," Djokovic admitted, assessing his recent struggles on the tour. "I was just trying to find a good feeling on the court. I know that if I’m feeling well and striking the ball well, I can compete at the highest level. This week has been evidence of that."
For De Minaur, the ending brought visible heartbreak. The Australian, who had not retired from an official tour-level match since he was a teenager in 2017, fought back tears as he addressed the spectators during the trophy ceremony, offering an apology for the anticlimactic conclusion to the week.
"I want to say sorry to all the amazing fans who came to watch this match," said a dejected De Minaur. "I didn’t want to finish like this, so I’m really sorry. To my team – those who are here and also back home – thank you. It’s been a great week and I’m sure there’s plenty more to come."
The bizarre sequence of events leading to the trophy ceremony sparked considerable discussion among pundits and former players alike. Former British number one Johanna Konta offered her perspective on the unusual path to the title when speaking to Sky Sports Tennis.
"It’s just the anticlimactic nature of it," Konta noted, describing the lack of a traditional winning moment. "You don’t have the release of emotions. Djokovic was the best player this week because you can only ask a player to deal with the challenges that are presented to them, and he dealt with the challenges that were ahead of him, and that’s all there is to it.
"We do not want to see matches end in retirement and Djokovic himself probably wouldn’t want that either. However, I’m sure he was pleased that he wasn’t necessarily stretched to his physical limits, but he will be pleased with the good things that he did do this week. I would have been less surprised had Novak Djokovic retired."
Despite the strange circumstances surrounding both the semi-final disqualification of Medvedev and the unfortunate physical breakdown of De Minaur in the final, Djokovic’s name is etched once more onto the Beijing trophy. As the veteran competitor looks ahead to the remainder of the season, his flawless record in China stands as a testament to his enduring competitive spirit and tactical brilliance on the court.