Novak Djokovic turned back the clock on Sunday, overcoming the French Open and US Open champion Alexander Zverev in a three‑set thriller (4-6, 6-4, 6-4) to secure a place in the semifinals of the China Open. The 39‑year‑old Serbian not only advanced in the tournament but also etched a fresh record into the Open Era annals: he became the first man to start a tour‑level event with a flawless 32‑0 run in Beijing. By doing so, he eclipsed Rafael Nadal’s previous benchmark of 31 consecutive wins at a single event, a streak Nadal set at Roland Garros. Djokovic’s dominance in Beijing is already legendary.
He is a six‑time champion there and entered the 2024 edition having won every one of his 29 prior matches at the venue. This was his first appearance in the capital since 2015, when he defeated Nadal in the final to claim his sixth title. Reflecting on his early performance, 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." Despite the shaky opening, he managed to break Zverev early in the first set, creating a crucial lead that proved difficult for the German to overturn.
The opening set saw Zverev harness his powerful baseline game to take the lead, capitalising on Djokovic’s tentative start. However, the Serbian gradually found his rhythm, adjusting his serve placement and employing a mix of deep groundstrokes and occasional drop shots to disrupt Zverev’s flow. By the middle of the first set, Djokovic felt the momentum shift in his favour, noting, "I gave him an early break and then it was hard to come back in the first set. I had a couple of break points when he was serving for the set at 5-4, but didn't use them, but I kind of felt already from midway through the first set that I was starting to get a good rhythm, at least on my serve and on serve plus one." The two players had not faced each other since the previous year’s French Open, where Djokovic emerged victorious in four sets.
Their renewed clash highlighted Djokovic’s uncanny ability to perform under pressure, even as his season has been hampered by various physical setbacks. The pivotal moment arrived late in the second set when Djokovic broke Zverev’s serve at 5-4, leveling the match and swinging the psychological advantage his way. The Serbian rode this wave into the third set, where the contest remained tight until he again broke at 5-4, sealing the decisive advantage and ultimately the win.
With this triumph, Djokovic moved a step closer to a seventh China Open crown and his first tournament victory of the calendar year. The win also thwarted Zverev’s aspirations of gaining further ground in the race for the world No. 1 ranking.
Djokovic’s next challenge will be a semifinal showdown with Daniil Medvedev, who earlier dispatched Francisco Cerúndolo 7-6(7-4), 6-3. Historically, Djokovic joins an elite trio of players who have recorded a top‑three win after turning 39, a group that includes Ken Rosewall and Jimmy Connors. He reflected on the significance of the moment, stating, "To be honest, these are the kind of moments that I still play for, compete for. The motivation is big obviously when you are feeling good and competing at par with the best players in the world, in front of 15,000 people of course.
These are the kind of moments that define dreams, I think, of every tennis player. It's been a struggle this year, to be honest, for different reasons, but I'm still there, still grinding, still making the youngsters work for their money.
I'm just glad to push it through." Former British No. 1 Annabel Croft, speaking on Sky Sports Tennis, described the encounter as "an incredible contest" and praised the high‑quality tennis displayed by both athletes. She added, "Why would you ever doubt Novak Djokovic even at the age of 39?
The match got better and better as well, and had some different tactical shifts for Djokovic, who after the long physical points, I thought his legs were tiring, but he came back. He threw in some drop shots, he threw in some serve and volleys early in the second set and just changed things up with the pattern of play. Djokovic came up with the answers. It was on a knife edge right to the end but what a finish and what a treat for all those fans in Beijing." The event also featured other notable results.
At the Japan Open, top seed Carlos Alcaraz breezed through his round‑of‑16 match in just 83 minutes, advancing to the semifinals after Denis Shapovalov retired while trailing 7-6(7-3), 2-1. Fans can continue to follow the action via streaming platforms such as NOW and the Sky Sports app, which provide live coverage of both the ATP and WTA China Open events as well as the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters. In summary, Djokovic’s victory over Zverev not only reinforced his status as a perennial contender despite his age but also added a historic milestone to his already impressive résumé. His 32‑0 start in Beijing surpasses Nadal’s 31‑0 run at Roland Garros, and his continued success serves as a testament to his resilience, adaptability, and unyielding competitive spirit.
The upcoming semifinal against Medvedev promises another high‑stakes battle, while the broader tournament continues to showcase the depth and excitement of modern men’s tennis.