Novak Djokovic once again found himself wrestling with lingering fitness concerns as he fought back from a set down to stave off a second‑round upset at the China Open on Friday. The Serbian, ranked among the sport's elite, fell behind 0-1 against Chinese wildcard Yunchaokete Bu, who entered the tournament ranked No. 104 in the world. After a tightly contested first set that saw Djokovic forced into a tiebreak in the second, the champion dug deep, rallying to claim the final set and complete a dramatic 4-6, 7-6(7-2), 6-2 comeback.
The win extended his unbeaten run at the Beijing event to an impressive 31 matches. Earlier in August, Djokovic disclosed that he was living with a chronic health condition, but he insisted he felt "good" heading into the week’s competition.
Nevertheless, his physical limitations were evident in both of his opening matches, echoing comments he made after his victory over Nuno Borges, where he admitted he "struggled a little bit to stay fresh." On Friday, after sealing the win, he reflected, "I had to play very well and serve well at the right moments. He [Bu] was solid and I found it hard to locate any real openings in his game.
He was hitting his spots incredibly well with the serve and mixing things up nicely from the back of the court, using short slices that forced me to come in." Bu started aggressively, pressuring Djokovic and saving three break points at 3‑3 in the opening set. The Serbian managed to hold his nerve, but a mistimed one‑handed backhand sent the ball beyond the baseline, handing Bu a break point that eventually turned into a break.
The two players traded blows for the next hour, with neither able to pull away decisively. In the second‑set tiebreak, Djokovic summoned an extra gear, edging the tiebreak and forcing a deciding set, even as he appeared visibly fatigued and required on‑court treatment for a side issue. The third set saw Djokovic seize control, racing to a 4‑0 lead before closing out the match.
His resurgence earned him a quarter‑final showdown against the winner of the Alexander Zverev versus Juncheng Shang clash. While Djokovic’s resilience was the headline, the Beijing tournament featured a host of other notable results. Daniil Medvedev secured a second‑round meeting with Jan‑Lennard Struff after dispatching Pablo Carreno‑Busta 6‑4, 6‑2, and Karen Khachanov overcame Alex Molcán 7‑5, 6‑3. Across the Pacific, at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open, Artur Fils edged out Frances Tiafoe 6‑3, 7‑5 to advance to his own quarter‑finals.
Back in Beijing, world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka opened her China Open campaign with a commanding 6‑1, 6‑3 victory over world No. 94 Renata Zarazua, finishing the match in just over an hour. Sabalenka unleashed her trademark power early, racing to a 3‑0 lead, breaking again for a 5‑1 advantage, and serving out the first set to love.
She maintained her intensity in the second set, breaking Zarazua inside the first three games and sealing the match with another break, setting up a forthcoming encounter with world No. 34 Nikola Bartúkova. Four‑time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka faced a tougher path, being pushed to three sets by Maria Timofeeva. Osaka claimed the opening set comfortably, but her rhythm dipped in the second, allowing Timofeeva to claw back from a break down and win five consecutive games, leveling the match at 1‑1.
Osaka, however, found a second wind in the decider, stringing together five straight games to close out the contest 6‑3, 3‑6, 6‑3 and earn a place against 20th seed Sara Bejlek. Reflecting on the battle, Osaka said, "It was really tough.
It was my first match since New York, so it was a little difficult getting my bearings. She's a great player, and I think it was a great match." British contender Katie Boulter suffered a second‑round exit after a 7‑6(7‑3), 6‑1 loss to world No.
8 Karolina Muchova. The result continued a pattern for Boulter, who has yet to beat Muchova this season, losing all three of their recent meetings, including the US Open second round.
Muchova praised the contest, noting, "It was a very close match; we've played a few times this year. Boulter played great, served well and hit the ball cleanly. It was really just a few points difference in the first set." Boulter had started strongly, racing to a 4‑1 lead, but Muchova rallied, breaking to level at 4‑4 before the set progressed to a tense tiebreak.
Both players exchanged high‑quality groundstrokes, with Muchova producing brilliant winners and even a spectacular pirouette drop shot. The Czech, a 2026 Wimbledon finalist, captured the opening set and then accelerated, breaking Boulter twice in the second set to secure a third‑round berth against world No. 39 Liudmila Samsonova. Overall, the China Open continued to deliver a blend of veteran resilience and emerging talent, with Djokovic’s gritty comeback underscoring his enduring competitive spirit despite ongoing health challenges.
Fans can follow the remaining action live via streaming platforms such as NOW and the Sky Sports app, which will broadcast the ATP Japan Open, the WTA/ATP China Open, and the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters without contractual restrictions.