Key Takeaways
- Novak Djokovic rallied from a set down to defeat Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the China Open quarter-finals, extending his unbeaten record at the tournament to 32-0.
- Following the match, Novak Djokovic hailed Alexander Zverev’s form, calling him “the best player in the world at the moment, for sure, in a huge run and confidence roll.”
- Novak Djokovic confirmed his motivation remains high against the next generation, stating: “I’m still there, I’m still grinding, I’m still making the youngsters work for their money.”
Djokovic battles past Zverev to maintain perfect record in Beijing
Novak Djokovic delivered one of his most resilient displays of the 2026 season to overcome world No. 2 Alexander Zverev in a high-stakes China Open quarter-final. The 39-year-old Serbian recovered from an early deficit to secure a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 triumph, extending his historic, unbeaten tournament record to 32-0.
With this win, the 24-time Grand Slam champion surpassed Rafael Nadal’s 31-0 start at Roland Garros for the most consecutive matches won at a single tournament before suffering a loss. After dropping the opening set due to two double faults in his opening service game, Djokovic gradually turned the momentum around on the Beijing hard courts.
Comparison table
| Entry | Value |
|---|---|
| Sunday, 04 October 2026 at 18 | 30 |
| 00 | 00/00:36 |
| China Open ATP 2026: Results, Draw, Schedule, Entry List, Prize Money and HistoryOct 04, 15 | 56 |
| China Open WTA 2026: Results, Draw, Schedule, Entry List, History and Prize MoneyOct 04, 15 | 13 |
| Japan Open ATP 2026: Results, Draw, Schedule, Entry List, Prize Money and HistoryOct 04, 12 | 57 |
| Never miss a Tennis story again – Follow TennisUpToDate on Google!Sep 10, 08 | 42 |
| China Open ATP 2026: Results, Draw, Schedule, Entry List, Prize Money and HistoryOct 04, 15 | 56 |
| Japan Open ATP 2026: Results, Draw, Schedule, Entry List, Prize Money and HistoryOct 04, 12 | 57 |
| China Open WTA 2026: Results, Draw, Schedule, Entry List, History and Prize MoneyOct 04, 15 | 13 |
| Winner | $185,500 |
| Finalist | $114,500 |
| Semi-Finalist | $66,003 |
| Quarter-Finalist | $35,000 |
| Round of 16 | $18,045 |
| Round of 32 | $13,005 |
| Winner – | 500 |
| Finalist – | 325 |
| Semi-Finalist – | 195 |
| Quarter-Finalist – | 108 |
| Round of 16 | 60 |
| Round of 32 | 1 |
Tactical adjustments overcome a difficult start
Speaking to Tennis TV following the match, Djokovic reflected on the chilly conditions that contributed to his slow start before he found his rhythm.
“It was quite cold… honestly, I didn’t feel warmed up, but my fault, I gave him early break and then it was hard to come back in the first set,” Djokovic explained.
Although he missed opportunities to break back late in that opening set, the Serbian began finding his range: “I had a couple break points to break him back when he was serving for the set at 5-4; I didn’t use that. But then I kind of felt already from the midway first set, I was starting to get a good rhythm, at least on my serve.”
Djokovic identified his serve-plus-one combination and constant tactical variation as the decisive factors against the German’s potent serving game.
“Serve plus one, I was trying to be aggressive and come to the net, and change up the pace, not give him the same pattern,” Djokovic said. “He’s the best player in the world at the moment, for sure, in a huge run and confidence roll. So when he’s serving the way he was serving tonight, or whatever, the whole year, it’s just a nightmare for the opponent.”
He added: “So I’m just glad that I kind of held my nerves, played good shots and read his serve in important moments in 5-4 in both second and third [sets]. But I think I would highlight my serve plus one, that was pretty accurate today.”
Hunger remains as Medvedev semi-final awaits
Despite enduring what he acknowledged has been a demanding campaign, Djokovic emphasized that matches of this caliber continue to provide him with all the motivation he needs.
“To be honest, these are the kind of moments that I still play for, compete for. I mean, motivation is big obviously when you’re feeling good and competing at par with the best players in the world, and in front of 15,000 people, of course,” he said.
“These are the kind of moments that define dreams of, I think, every tennis player. So yeah, it’s been a struggle this year, to be honest, for different reasons. But I’m still there, I’m still grinding, I’m still making the youngsters work for their money,” Djokovic concluded with a smile.
Currently sitting at No. 10 in the ATP Race to Turin, Djokovic continues his pursuit of a 102nd career title and critical qualification points for the ATP Finals. Up next in the China Open semi-finals is a clash with Daniil Medvedev, who currently holds the eighth spot in the race.
Alexander Zverev in 2026
Currently the world no.2 (career-high), Alexander played his last match on the 4th of October when he lost to world no.11 Novak Djokovic 4-6 6-4 6-4 in the quarter in Beijing (draw).
This season the German has achieved a 58-16 match record. Alexander conquered 2 titles in 2026 at the French Open and U.S. Open.
ATP Beijing - Novak Djokovic's projected path
Djokovic in Beijing, ranking, and results in 2026
Currently the world no.11, Djokovic owns a 18-7 match record in 2026. Novak is currently playing in Beijing where he overcame the world no.49 Nuno Borges 6-3 7-6(2), the world no.104 Bu Yunchaokete 4-6 7-6(2) 6-2 and the world no.2 Alexander Zverev 4-6 6-4 6-4.
Novak Djokovic will take on the world no.6 Daniil Medvedev in the semifinal on Monday at 7:00 pm on Court 1. Their current record is 10-5 for Djokovic.
The Serbian won 101 titles in his career: 52 on hard courts, 21 on clay courts, 20 on indoor courts and 8 on grass courts. (See the list of his titles)
Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic faced off 15 times. Their head to head is 10-5 for Djokovic.
