Djokovic Advances at China Open Amid Difficult Season
Veteran player overcomes Zverev in a tight quarter-final match, moving closer to a potential first title of 2026.
Novak Djokovic continued his pursuit of a first trophy of 2026 by defeating top seed Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals of the China Open. The victory extends Djokovic's unbeaten streak in Beijing to 32 matches.
Djokovic secured his place in the semi-finals with a hard-fought three-set win over Zverev. After dropping the first set, the 24-time Grand Slam champion found his rhythm, breaking Zverev's serve at 5-4 in the second set to level the match. The decisive moment came in the third set when Djokovic capitalized on another break point at 5-4 on Zverev's serve to clinch the victory.
Djokovic acknowledged that the current year has presented challenges. "It's been a struggle this year for different reasons," he stated. "But I'm still there, still grinding, still making the youngsters work for their money. I'm just glad to push it through."
The Serbian player is now set to face third seed Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals. Medvedev advanced to this stage after defeating Francisco Cerundolo with a score of 7-6 (7-4), 6-3.