Novak Djokovic defeats Alexander Zverev in Beijing and breaks record
Novak Djokovic defeated world number two Alexander Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the ATP 500 tournament in Beijing, while simultaneously surpassing a mark previously held by Rafael Nadal. The victory marked Djokovic’s 32-0 record, outperforming the mark Nadal set at Roland Garros between 2005 and 2009, as noted by the Spanish newspaper Marca.
How Djokovic Overcame Zverev in Beijing
Entering the match as the world number 11, Djokovic dropped the first set 6-4 before mounting a comeback against his opponent, who stands ten years younger. According to reporting from the French news agency AFP, Djokovic’s last victory of this magnitude occurred in late January, when he defeated world number one Jannik Sinner in the semifinals of the Australian Open before falling to Carlos Alcaraz in the final. Aside from that Australian run, the Serbian player has acknowledged dealing with physical issues throughout the season that limited his peak performance, as detailed by Marca.
In the tense tenth game of the second set, Djokovic manufactured two break points to pull even at 5-4 and 15-40, though Zverev neutralized both with powerful serving. Djokovic eventually secured the second set and carried that momentum into the deciding third frame. Dominating from the baseline in the match point decider, Djokovic converted his second match opportunity to clinch the victory.
Following the match, Djokovic reflected on his endurance on the ATP tour. “For to be honest, it is for moments like this that I keep playing, fighting,” Djokovic stated, as recorded by AFP. “The motivation remains immense when you feel good and play on equal terms against the best players in the world.” He added, “Those are the moments that I think define the dreams of every tennis player. This year has been difficult for different reasons, but I am still here, I am still fighting, and I am still giving war to the young guys.”
Chasing the ATP Finals and Historical Milestones
With this quarterfinal win, Djokovic secured his seventh appearance in the final four in the Chinese capital. Across his career, he has now reached 202 occasions in these instances. Jimmy Connors holds the record with 239, followed by Roger Federer with 211.
The win moves Djokovic within striking distance of returning to the top 10 in the ATP rankings, a position currently held by Arthur Fils. The result thrusts the competitor directly into the race for one of the remaining qualification spots at the ATP Finals in Turin. He currently sits tenth in the Race 2026 standings, trailing Daniil Medvedev by 680 points. Djokovic faces Medvedev next in the Beijing semifinals on Monday, carrying a fresh Open Era record regardless of that upcoming result.
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