Djokovic Claims Seventh China Open Crown After De Minaur Withdraws Injured in Final

Novak Djokovic secured the China Open championship after Alex de Minaur pulled out injured during their final match in Beijing on Tuesday. Both athletes requested medical timeouts following the first set, but De Minaur's groin injury forced him to retire early in the second set, shortly after winning its opening game.

The 39-year-old Serbian extended his flawless China Open record to 34-0 with the win, finishing the match 7-6 (3), 0-1. This victory marked his seventh China Open title and his 102nd ATP Tour title overall, moving him one behind Roger Federer and trailing Jimmy Connors’ Open era record of 109 titles.

"I always have high expectations of myself and want to imagine holding the trophy, especially here in Beijing, where I’ve never lost," Djokovic said. "But I also knew things are a bit different these days."

This was Djokovic’s first appearance in Beijing since his last title there in 2015. Earlier this year, he lost his only other final to Carlos Alcaraz at the Australian Open.

"This year has been quite challenging for me: lots of physical and health issues," Djokovic remarked. "I was trying to find a good feeling on the court. When I’m feeling well and striking the ball properly, I can compete at the highest level. This week showed that."

Throughout the tournament, Djokovic defeated three top-10 players, a feat he hadn’t achieved in three years. He overcame U.S. Open champion Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals and advanced past Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals after Medvedev was disqualified for hitting a spectator with a ball.

De Minaur’s Performance and Injury

Ranked No. 9, De Minaur held his own against the No. 11 Djokovic with aggressive groundstrokes in the opening set, saving two break points but ultimately losing the tiebreak due to unforced errors. He landed 11 winners compared to Djokovic’s three.

"I want to apologize to all the amazing fans who came to watch this match. I didn’t want it to end this way, so I’m really sorry," De Minaur said.

De Minaur reached the final after Hubert Hurkacz retired injured during their semifinal match’s second set. He was aiming for his first China Open trophy and a second title of the year following his Rotterdam victory in February.

Women’s Tournament Updates

• Nikola Bartunkova, ranked 34th, defeated Sinja Kraus 6-0, 4-6, 6-3 in the women's round of 16 after stunning second seed Aryna Sabalenka in the third round.
• Ekaterina Alexandrova, the 19th seed, upset fifth-seeded Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova 6-2, 6-2.
• Karolina Muchova, seeded seventh, survived a tough challenge from 12th-seeded Naomi Osaka, winning 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (7).