Novak Djokovic secured the China Open title on Tuesday after his opponent, Alex de Minaur, retired during the final match, extending his unbeaten record in Beijing to 34 consecutive victories. The 39-year-old Serbian captured the first set in a tie-break 7-6 (7/3) and was leading in the second when the Australian withdrew due to injury.
De Minaur, ranked ninth in the world, exited the match after taking a medical timeout and returning with a white wrap around his left thigh. He had won the opening game of the second set before retiring. Following the match, de Minaur expressed regret to the audience, apologizing for ending the contest prematurely and acknowledging his physical condition.
Djokovic, who lifted the trophy for the seventh time at the Chinese capital—his first since 2015—described the victory as particularly meaningful given the challenges he has faced this year with physical and health issues. The first set lasted over an hour and was a demanding physical battle, with both players requiring medical attention before the second set. Djokovic’s route to the final included a quarter-final victory over top seed Alexander Zverev and a hard-fought three-set win against home favorite Bu Yunchaokete. He advanced to the final after Daniil Medvedev was disqualified for accidentally injuring a fan, while de Minaur reached the final following Hubert Hurkacz’s retirement due to injury in the semi-finals.
This triumph marked the 102nd title of Djokovic’s career and ensured he will end the season with a tournament victory for the 21st consecutive year.
In the women’s singles, Karolina Muchova advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating former world number one Naomi Osaka in a tightly contested match. Muchova, seeded seventh, overcame 50 unforced errors in nearly three hours to win 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (9/7). Osaka saved eight match points but ultimately fell to Muchova’s decisive volley. The Czech player expressed gratitude for her victory, acknowledging Osaka’s competitiveness. Muchova is set to face compatriot Nikola Bartunkova in the next round.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Mirra Andreeva secured her quarter-final place by defeating Ukraine’s Daria Snigur 6-2, 6-2. Andreeva will face another Russian, Ekaterina Alexandrova, who upset Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova 6-2, 6-2 to halt Noskova’s bid to return to the Beijing final. Alexandrova is currently ranked 28th.