Djokovic Stays Perfect in Beijing

Novak Djokovic battled back from a set down to defeat top seed Alexander Zverev and book his place in the China Open semi-finals. The 39-year-old Serbian triumphed 4-6 6-4 6-4 against world number two Zverev.

Djokovic's victory over Zverev dented the German's quest to finish the year as the world's number one-ranked player. Djokovic said, 'These are the kind of moments that I still play for, compete for.'

The match was Djokovic's first against Zverev in nearly 16 months. Djokovic initially struggled to handle Zverev's power, and the 29-year-old secured the first set after capitalising on a break in the first game.

However, Djokovic managed to work his way back into the contest, and the 24-time Grand Slam winner seized an opportunity with a break at 5-4 in the second set to level the match. Djokovic struck again at 5-4 on Zverev's serve to clinically seal victory in the third set.

Djokovic's win took his unbeaten tally in Beijing to 32 matches as he moved a step closer to a seventh China Open title and a first trophy of what has been a difficult 2026. Djokovic will face third seed Medvedev, who earlier overcame Francisco Cerundolo 7-6 (7-4) 6-3, on Monday.

Poland's Hubert Hurkacz also progressed to the semi-finals with a 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 win over Karen Khachanov. He will play Australia's Alex de Minaur who was off the pace in the first set against Andrey Rublev before he stepped up to record a 1-6 6-2 6-3 victory.

Djokovic is a record six-time champion in Beijing and had won all 29 of his previous matches at the tournament before returning this year for the first time since 2015. Djokovic said, 'It's been a struggle this year for different reasons, but I'm still there, still grinding, still making the youngsters work for their money.'