Djokovic wins seventh China Open title after de Minaur retires due to injury

Novak Djokovic won a record-extending seventh China Open title on Tuesday, after Alex de Minaur was forced to retire with an injury in the men's singles final in Beijing.

The 39-year-old, who had taken a closely fought opening set 7-6 (3), trailed 1-0 in the second when de Minaur announced that he could not continue due to a groin problem.

Neither player converted a service break in the 67-minute first set. Australia's World No. 10 brought up a break point in the fifth game, but Djokovic escaped with a full-stretch backhand.

The Serbian then raised his level in the tiebreaker, taking advantage of multiple errors from de Minaur to establish an early advantage, before closing out the set with momentum.

Both players received medical attention after the opener and de Minaur returned to the court with his left thigh heavily strapped. The Australian held serve to start the second set, but was unable to play on, bringing the championship contest to an abrupt conclusion after one hour and 23 minutes.

Djokovic expressed sympathy for his opponent after the match, describing the final ending early due to an injury as unfortunate.

"I hope it's nothing too serious," the 24-time Grand Slam champion said. "He was playing at a very high level, particularly in the first set."

The victory completed a successful return to Beijing for the 39-year-old, who was competing at the China Open for the first time since 2015. He has now won all 34 matches he has played at the tournament, lifting the trophy in each of his seven appearances.

Djokovic said his connection with the tournament, and the local crowd, made his return especially meaningful.

"This place has been incredibly special to me throughout my career," the former World No. 1 reflected. "I've never lost here. I always felt tremendous support and love from the Chinese people."

The triumph marked the Serbian's first title of 2026 and clinched the 102nd ATP Tour singles trophy of his career. He has now won at least one Tour-level title in 21 consecutive seasons.

"It means a lot, particularly at this stage of my career," Djokovic added. "When I feel good physically and when I find that feeling on the court, I still believe I can compete with the best players and win tournaments."

De Minaur was disappointed that he could not finish the contest after pushing the Serbian throughout the opening set.

"It's obviously not the way you want a final to end," the Australian lamented. "I tried to keep going, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to."

Djokovic will next turn his attention to the Shanghai Masters, as he looks to build on his first tournament victory of the season.