Djokovic beats Zverev in China Open

Novak Djokovic beat Alexander Zverev in the China Open quarterfinals on Sunday. The 39-year-old Serb, seeded sixth, rallied for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory in a match lasting two hours and 34 minutes.

Djokovic now advances to face third seed Daniil Medvedev. The win also marks Djokovic's seventh Beijing semifinal, a career milestone.

Historic winning streak at the China Open

The victory improved Djokovic's flawless record at the China Open to 32-0. This sets an outright ATP record for the best start by any player at a single tournament. He surpasses Rafael Nadal's 31-match winning streak at Roland-Garros.

It is the longest winning streak from a player's first match at any ATP event.

Dominant serving and return performance

Djokovic's serve was a key weapon. He held 14 of his 15 service games and won 82 percent of his first-serve points. The former world number one also converted two of his five break point opportunities.

He won 95 of the 180 total points played. His performance was efficient and clinical.

Zverev's strong effort falls short

German top seed Alexander Zverev produced a formidable challenge. He fired 19 aces and committed zero double faults. His first-serve accuracy was a high 80 percent.

Despite this, he could not find enough breaks. Zverev saved one match point in what was described as a legendary rally, but it was not enough to turn the tide.

Milestone victory adds to Djokovic's legacy

This win was Djokovic's 267th career victory over a Top 10 opponent. It is his fourth such win in 2026 and his second over a world No. 2 this season.

By beating the top-seeded Zverev, Djokovic became only the third man to defeat a Top 3 player after turning 39. He joins legends Ken Rosewall and Jimmy Connors in achieving this feat. The match was also the 202nd semifinal of his storied career.

Djokovic leads the head-to-head against his next opponent, Daniil Medvedev, with 10 wins and 5 losses. A tense moment arose during the quarterfinal regarding a line call challenge. Novak Djokovic questioned the timing, saying, "He served, I played a shot, he played another, and only then does he challenge. Is that okay?"

He later added, "If the screen bothered him, he should’ve stopped right after the serve, not kept going. You missed the forehand and only then complained."

Djokovic is set to face Medvedev in the semifinals of the China Open.