Novak Djokovic has done it again. The Serbian legend has added another remarkable chapter to his extraordinary tennis career, winning the China Open for a record seventh time after Alex de Minaur was forced to retire injured in the final.
Djokovic was leading 7-6(3), 0-1 when De Minaur could no longer continue because of an apparent left thigh/groin problem. The Australian had received medical treatment after the opening set and attempted to carry on, but after winning the first game of the second set, he decided that continuing was not possible.
For Djokovic, however, the victory was about far more than simply adding another trophy to his collection.
The 39-year-old has now won 102 ATP singles titles, leaving him just one behind Roger Federer and seven behind Jimmy Connors, who holds the Open Era record with 109. The Beijing triumph was also Djokovic’s first title of the 2026 season.
Even more remarkable is his consistency over time. Djokovic has now won at least one tour-level singles title in 21 consecutive seasons, extending a record that reflects his extraordinary longevity at the top of men’s tennis. He also became the oldest man since Ken Rosewall in 1977 to win a tour-level singles title after turning 39.
Djokovic remains unbeatable in Beijing
There is something about Beijing that continues to bring out the best in Djokovic.
His latest victory means he has now won 34 consecutive matches at the China Open without a single defeat. Seven appearances at the tournament have resulted in seven titles, an extraordinary record that becomes even more impressive considering how much his career has changed since his previous Beijing appearances.
The final itself was far from straightforward. Both players took medical timeouts after a physically demanding opening set that lasted more than an hour. Djokovic eventually edged the Australian in the tiebreak, winning it 7-3.
De Minaur tried to continue, but his movement was clearly affected. After holding serve to begin the second set, the Australian stopped and shook hands with Djokovic.
It was an unfortunate ending for De Minaur, who had produced some excellent tennis throughout the tournament and was attempting to win his first China Open title.
Djokovic’s run to the final was also impressive. He defeated world number two Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals before reaching the championship match following Daniil Medvedev’s controversial semi-final disqualification. The Serbian therefore finished the tournament with several notable victories despite the unusual circumstances surrounding the latter stages.
A huge statement after a difficult year
Perhaps the most important aspect of Djokovic’s China Open victory is what it says about his ability to compete at the highest level at 39.
The 2026 season has not been easy for the Serbian. He has carefully managed his schedule in recent years as his body has increasingly become a factor. His limited tournament schedule meant that another title had been a long time coming.
Before Beijing, Djokovic had reached only one final this season, losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open final.
He still showed that his tennis remains good enough to challenge the very best. He defeated Jannik Sinner on his way to the Australian Open final and later reached the Wimbledon semi-finals, where he lost to eventual champion Sinner.
But there were also difficult moments.
Djokovic suffered an early exit at the French Open against Joao Fonseca and endured a physically demanding US Open campaign. His comments about his physical condition underlined just how carefully he now has to manage his body.
That makes his Beijing performance particularly significant.
“This year has been quite challenging for me, lots of ups and downs and physical and health issues,” Djokovic said after the final. He added that the week had shown him that when he feels physically well and strikes the ball properly, he can still compete at the highest level.
That belief could be important for the final part of his season.
Djokovic now chasing Federer and Connors
The numbers surrounding Djokovic’s latest achievement are almost difficult to believe.
With 102 ATP singles titles, he is now only one trophy away from Roger Federer’s 103. If Djokovic reaches 104, he will move into outright second place on the Open Era list behind Connors.
The bigger target is Connors’ 109.
That means Djokovic is now seven titles away from matching the American legend.
Whether he can reach that mark is impossible to predict, especially given the Serbian’s decision to protect his body and reduce his tournament schedule. But his performance in Beijing has once again demonstrated that retirement does not appear to be stopping his ambitions.
He is also expected to move back inside the world’s top 10 following his China Open success, giving him another boost as the season enters its closing stages.
Alcaraz also celebrates in Tokyo
Djokovic was not the only major name celebrating an ATP title on Tuesday.
Carlos Alcaraz successfully defended his Japan Open title in Tokyo, defeating Jiri Lehecka 7-6(4), 6-4 in the final.
The victory was particularly important for the Spaniard because it came after his lengthy absence caused by a wrist injury.
Alcaraz returned to competitive tennis at the US Open in August and reached the quarter-finals before losing a five-set battle to Ben Shelton. His Tokyo victory was his first title since returning from injury and his third title of 2026, following his Australian Open and Qatar Open triumphs.
The 23-year-old had to fight hard in the final after falling behind early. He recovered, won the first-set tiebreak and then found the decisive break in the second set before closing out the match.
Alcaraz admitted that he did not feel he played his best tennis throughout the tournament, but he was pleased with his ability to find solutions when things were not going his way.
That quality could prove crucial as the season moves towards its biggest remaining tournaments.
Two legends, two very different comebacks
The simultaneous success of Djokovic in Beijing and Alcaraz in Tokyo offered an interesting snapshot of men’s tennis.
Djokovic’s victory was another reminder of extraordinary longevity. At 39, he is still capable of beating top-ranked opponents and winning major ATP titles despite managing his physical condition carefully.
Alcaraz’s triumph, meanwhile, was about rebuilding momentum after injury.
The two generations are still connected by the same competitive goal: winning the biggest trophies available.
For Djokovic, the immediate target will be to maintain his fitness and push towards Federer’s 103-title mark. For Alcaraz, the Tokyo victory provides confidence heading into the final stretch of the season.
And with the Shanghai Masters, Paris Masters and ATP Finals still ahead, there is plenty more tennis to come.
For Djokovic, though, Beijing will remain especially memorable.
A seventh China Open title. A 34-0 tournament record. A 102nd career title. And another season in which the Serbian has found a way to put his name on the trophy.
At 39, Novak Djokovic is still writing history.
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