Novak Djokovic defeats Alexander Zverev at China Open

I had a terrible start. Two double faults at the beginning.

Novak Djokovic rallied from a set down to defeat top seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the quarter-finals of the China Open, extending his unbeaten tournament record to 32 matches. The 39-year-old Serbian weathered 19 aces from his opponent and a first-game service break to book a semi-final clash with Daniil Medvedev in a match lasting two hours and 34 minutes.

Novak Djokovic Extends Beijing Winning Streak Against Alexander Zverev

Playing the ATP 500 event for the first time since 2015, Djokovic faced an immediate deficit after double-faulting twice in the opening game to hand Zverev an early advantage. The first set featured a controversial moment when the umpire ordered a replay of a point won by Djokovic after Zverev complained that a flicker in the LED advertising panels had disrupted play. Zverev closed out the opening set, but Djokovic shifted momentum in the second by capitalizing on a late break and sealing the frame with a cross-court winner.

Djokovic now holds a 32-0 record at the China Open, surpassing Rafael Nadal’s previous men’s mark of 31-0 at the French Open.

Nikola Bartunkova Knocks Out Aryna Sabalenka in Beijing Third Round

While Djokovic advanced on the men’s side, the women’s tournament lost its top two seeds on Oct. 4, 2026, when Aryna Sabalenka fell in straight sets to Nikola Bartunkova. The 20-year-old, ranked No. 34 in the world, defeated the second-seeded Belarusian 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 35 minutes. Bartunkova fired four aces to secure the win.

She’s a legend … so I’m really happy that I won the match.

Sabalenka struggled with conversion rates, squandering five break-point chances in the sixth game of the first set and later tossing her racket in frustration during the second set. The loss follows the second-round exit of top-seeded Elena Rybakina, who withdrew from the Wuhan Open due to a foot injury after falling to Alina Charaeva.

Semi-Final Matchups Set at the National Tennis Center

Djokovic will face Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals after the Russian former world number one defeated Francisco Cerundolo 7-6, 6-3. On the other side of the men’s draw, Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz advanced past Karen Khachanov to set up a semi-final encounter with Australia’s Alex de Minaur, who overcame Andrey Rublev 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 in a gruelling test.

In the women’s draw, Bartunkova advances to the round of 16 to face Austria’s Sinja Kraus following her straight-sets elimination of Sabalenka.

More on this story: Alexander Zverev defeats Cameron Norrie at the China Open in Beijing

I was trying to be aggressive and come to the net, and change up the pace, not giving the same pattern.

Novak Djokovic