Novak Djokovic overcame mid-match physical struggles on September 30, 2026, to defeat World No. 49 Nuno Borges 6-3, 7-6(2) in the first round of the China Open in Beijing. The victory marked Djokovic’s return to competitive action. He had spent nearly a month away following his first-round exit at the US Open. It was also his first appearance at the ATP 500 event in Beijing in 11 years.
Entering the match with an undefeated 29-0 record at the tournament, the six-time China Open champion benefited from favorable weather. Temperatures hovered near 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Djokovic secured the opening set 6-3 with relative ease. He utilized a strong first serve to dictate the early pace of the round-of-32 contest.
Physical Hurdles and Second-Set Battle
Despite a comfortable start, the 39-year-old Serbian encountered physical difficulties as the match progressed. During the second set, while trailing 2-3, Djokovic required a medical timeout to receive treatment on his right shoulder. He also used his racquet to stretch his back between games. He appeared visibly out of breath, frequently crouching over after long, exhausting rallies.
Nuno Borges capitalized on the dip in Djokovic’s physical freshness. He raised his level of play and drew the veteran into grueling rallies. However, Djokovic relied on his precise returns and big-point execution to weather the storm. He dominated the subsequent tiebreak, surging to a 5-1 lead before closing out the straight-sets victory in one hour and 51 minutes.
“In the second set when he started to play better, I struggled a little bit to stay fresh… played out a great tiebreak to close it out in two, so very happy for that,” said Djokovic.
Extending the Beijing Fortress Record
With this hard-fought win, Djokovic extended his perfect career record at the China Open to 30-0. He won the tournament on all six of his previous visits between 2009 and 2015. He maintains the record for the most wins at a single tour-level event without a defeat since the ATP Tour began in 1990.
The victory also halted a three-match losing run. That streak included a Wimbledon semi-final defeat to Jannik Sinner, followed by opening-round exits in Cincinnati and at the US Open.
Next Up at the China Open
Djokovic is looking to secure his first title of the 2026 season and the 102nd tour-level title of his career. In the second round, he will face local favorite Yunchaokete Bu. Bu advanced by defeating Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.
