Djokovic matches Nadal’s record and surpasses Federer’s age mark

Novak Djokovic secured a 31-0 opening record at a single tournament, matching Rafael Nadal’s start at Roland-Garros, after fighting back from a tiebreak deficit against Bu Yunchaokete at the China Open. Djokovic turned the match around from the tiebreak, which he won 7-2, before pulling away in the third set to reach the Beijing quarterfinals.

Djokovic Matches Nadal Record After Slow Start

The six-time champion fought through a challenging opening frame against the 104th-ranked Chinese player, who entered the match as a 2024 semifinalist. Djokovic gained consistency and depth on his forehand from the tiebreak onward, converting more of his attacking opportunities to secure the victory. The win brings his record at the tournament to 31 matches without a defeat, matching the Open Era benchmark set by Rafael Nadal at Roland-Garros.

Bu Yunchaokete fell short in his bid to become the first Chinese man to defeat Djokovic. The match followed Djokovic’s opening-round win over Portugal’s Nuno Borges, which ended 6-3, 7-6 (2).

Zverev and Shang Await in the Quarterfinals

Djokovic advances to face either top-seeded German Alexander Zverev or Chinese wild card Juncheng Shang in Sunday’s quarterfinal match. The 39-year-old world No. 11 reached his seventh quarterfinal in Beijing—a record at the event—and the 228th of his career.

The milestone also makes Djokovic the oldest ATP 500 quarterfinalist since the category began in 2009. He surpassed Roger Federer, who was 38 years and two months old in Basel in 2019. Djokovic will carry a 24-hour recovery time advantage into Sunday’s matchup compared to his next opponent.