Novak Djokovic defeats Alexander Zverev rarely qualify as surprising words, but the route was far from routine in Beijing. The six-time China Open champion recovered from a poor start and ongoing injury concerns to beat the top seed 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday, preserving his unbeaten record at the tournament and reaching the semifinals.
Back at the ATP 500 event for the first time since 2015, Djokovic needed two hours and 35 minutes to overcome the reigning French Open and US Open champion. Zverev supplied 19 aces and plenty of pressure, but Djokovic took the points that mattered most. Tennis can be unhelpfully selective like that.
How did Djokovic recover after losing the first set?
The pair were meeting for the first time in nearly 16 months, and Djokovic initially struggled with Zverev’s power. Two early double faults handed the 29-year-old German a break, allowing him to take control of the opening set.
“I had a terrible start, two double faults at the beginning,” Djokovic said. “It was quite cold, and honestly, I didn’t feel warmed up, but my fault.”
He added: “I gave him an early break, and then it was hard to come back in the first set.”
Zverev closed out the opener 6-4, but Djokovic gradually settled into the contest and prevented the top seed from building a larger advantage. The Serbian varied his positioning, moved forward more often and disrupted the baseline patterns that had favoured Zverev early on.
The decisive moment in the second set arrived with Zverev serving at 4-5. Djokovic earned the late break to take the set 6-4, levelling the match without requiring a tiebreak or any additional administrative drama.
Why was a point replayed during the match?
There was, however, some administrative drama earlier in the contest. Zverev complained that part of the electronic advertising signage had gone dark during a rally and requested a video review after losing the point.
Replays confirmed that a section of the display had switched off. They also showed that the change did not occur at the exact moment Zverev missed his forehand. The chair umpire nevertheless ordered the point to be replayed, prompting a frustrated exchange with Djokovic.
The disagreement did not decide the match, though it briefly added another variable to a contest already featuring cold conditions, injury questions and Zverev’s heavy serving.
With the match level, neither player created much separation in the deciding set. Once again, Djokovic made his move with Zverev serving at 4-5. He secured the break and completed another 6-4 set, sealing the comeback on his first opportunity to close it out.
“I was trying to be aggressive and come to the net and change up the pace, not giving the same pattern,” Djokovic said.
“I am just glad that I held my nerves, played good shots at important moments, 5-4 in the second and third.”
Who will Djokovic face in the China Open semifinals?
Djokovic will meet Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals after the Russian defeated Francisco Cerundolo 7-6(4), 6-3 earlier on Sunday.
The victory moved Djokovic closer to a seventh China Open title and what would be his first trophy of the year. His season has been repeatedly interrupted by physical problems, but his ability to manage difficult matches remains stubbornly intact.
Djokovic and Zverev had last played at Roland Garros in 2025, where the Serbian won in four sets. Their latest meeting followed a similar pattern, with Zverev applying sustained pressure before Djokovic found a way through at the most important stages.
The loss also denied Zverev another chance to strengthen his campaign for the world number one ranking. Djokovic, meanwhile, remains unbeaten in Beijing and now stands two victories from extending his already substantial record at the tournament.
Why has Elena Rybakina withdrawn from Wuhan?
Elsewhere on Sunday, world number one Elena Rybakina withdrew from the Wuhan Open because of a foot injury. Tournament organisers announced her decision one day after she suffered a surprise opening-match defeat at the China Open.
Rybakina lost in Beijing to world number 118 Alina Charaeva and said she would step away from competition to recover.
“I’m very sorry to the fans who were looking forward to seeing me play,” Rybakina said in a statement posted through the tournament’s Instagram account.
“I’ll take some time to rest and recover. Thank you for your understanding and continued support.”
The 27-year-old Kazakh has been dealing with a persistent lower-leg and foot problem. The same issue forced her to retire from her Cincinnati quarterfinal against Iga Swiatek in August.
Rybakina returned in time for the US Open, where she won her third Grand Slam title, climbed to world number one and became the first player to qualify for the season-ending WTA Finals.
She is next expected to compete at the Ningbo Open in China, where she will attempt to defend her title. The Wuhan Open is scheduled for October 12 to 18.
