Novak Djokovic brushed aside ongoing physical struggles and produced a trademark vintage comeback to defeat top seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Sunday, securing his place in the semifinals of the China Open. Competing at the ATP 500 event in Beijing for the first time since 2015, the six-time tournament champion was pushed to the absolute limit by the reigning French Open and US Open champion, who fired 19 aces during a hard-fought contest.
Meeting on the court for the first time in nearly 16 months, Djokovic initially struggled to contain the formidable power of the 29-year-old German. Zverev controlled the early stages of the match, dictating play with his heavy groundstrokes and relentless serving to comfortably claim the opening set. However, the resilient Serb gradually worked his way into the rhythm of the match, absorbing the pressure and refusing to let his opponent pull further away as the encounter wore on under increasingly chilly evening conditions in the Chinese capital.
"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," Djokovic reflected candidly after the match. "I gave him an early break, and then it was hard to come back in the first set."
The high-stakes quarterfinal encounter was briefly interrupted by a moment of sharp controversy when Zverev argued that the electronic advertising signage surrounding the court had gone dark during an active rally. After dropping the point, the German requested an official video review from the chair umpire. Subsequent replays confirmed that a section of the LED signage had indeed switched off, though footage demonstrated the blackout occurred after Zverev had already missed his forehand. Nevertheless, the chair umpire ordered the disputed point to be replayed, a decision that drew a visibly frustrated verbal exchange from Djokovic, who felt hard done by the intervention.
Held My Nerves
The critical turning point of the match materialized late in the second set. With Zverev serving at 4-5, Djokovic elevated his level of play, capitalizing on a slight dip in the top seed’s intensity to secure a crucial break of serve. That breakthrough allowed him to level the match at one set apiece, shifting the psychological and tactical momentum firmly in his favor after an hour and a half of grueling baseline exchanges.
With virtually nothing separating the two Grand Slam champions in the deciding third set, the contest once again hung in the balance as the score reached 4-5. Demonstrating his legendary composure under extreme duress, the Serbian star struck precisely when it mattered most, breaking the Zverev serve for a second time to seal the victory after two hours and 35 minutes of intense tennis.
"I was trying to be aggressive and come to the net and change up the pace, not giving the same pattern," Djokovic said, breaking down his tactical adjustments. "I am just glad that I held my nerves, played good shots at important moments, 5-4 in the second and third."
The pair had not locked horns since their memorable encounter at Roland Garros in 2025, where Djokovic also emerged victorious in four sets. Sunday’s matchup served as yet another reminder of the 24-time Grand Slam champion’s unparalleled ability to raise his game when pushed to the brink, even during a campaign that has been heavily disrupted by lingering physical ailments.
With this hard-earned triumph, Djokovic moved one step closer to capturing a seventh career China Open title. More immediately, the victory keeps alive his quest for a first tournament trophy of the current season, while simultaneously denying Zverev a valuable opportunity to strengthen his ongoing bid for the coveted world number one ranking.
Looking ahead to the next stage of the tournament, Djokovic will face Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals. The Russian punched his own ticket to the final four earlier in the day following a straight-sets victory over Francisco Cerundolo, winning 7-6(4), 6-3.
Despite the positive outcome, Djokovic has remained transparent about the physical hurdles he has faced throughout the year. Plagued by undisclosed health issues that have limited his schedule and hampered his consistency, the veteran star admitted that navigating the current circuit has been a formidable challenge. "This year has been a big, big struggle for me," he acknowledged, making his deep run in Beijing all the more remarkable.
Rybakina Withdraws from Wuhan After China Open Exit
Meanwhile, off the men’s singles court, the tennis world saw further shakeups as women’s world number one Elena Rybakina officially withdrew from this month’s upcoming Wuhan Open due to a persistent foot injury. Tournament organizers confirmed the withdrawal on Sunday, coming just a day after the Kazakh star suffered a stunning and shock defeat in her opening round match at the China Open.
Rybakina, who was upset by world number 118 Alina Charaeva in Beijing, announced that she would step away from competition temporarily to focus on physical recovery.
"I’m very sorry to the fans who were looking forward to seeing me play," Rybakina said in a statement posted to the tournament’s official Instagram account. "I’ll take some time to rest and recover. Thank you for your understanding and continued support."
The 27-year-old has been managing a lingering lower leg and foot problem for several months. The issue previously forced her to prematurely retire from her quarterfinal match against Iga Swiatek at the Cincinnati tournament back in August. Despite that setback, she mounted a swift recovery in time for the US Open, where she captured her third career Grand Slam singles title, ascended to the summit of the WTA rankings, and became the historic first player to mathematically qualify for the prestigious season-ending WTA Finals.
Following her recovery period, Rybakina is expected to return to competitive action later this month at the Ningbo Open in China, where she will attempt to successfully defend her tournament crown. The Wuhan Open itself is scheduled to take place from October 12 to 18.