Novak Djokovic defeated Nuno Borges, 6-3, 7-6, in the first round of the China Open.
In doing so, Djokovic extended his unbeaten run in Beijing. The Serb has now won 30 consecutive matches at the China Open since debuting at the event back in 2009.
During his 30-match winning streak, Djokovic has dropped sets to just two players. What better time than now to look back at those slight blemishes on his record?
Novak Djokovic dropped sets to Fernando Verdasco and Michael Berrer at the China Open
Djokovic has only lost three sets at the China Open, but lost his first after just three matches in Beijing. After defeating Victor Hanescu and Viktor Troicki, Djokovic met Fernando Verdasco in the 2009 China Open quarter-finals.
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He won the opening set 6-3 and looked on course for the semi-finals before Verdasco, then a top-10 player, took control in the second set. The Spaniard began to dominate Djokovic and won the set 6-1 to force a decider. Unfortunately for Verdasco, his level dropped in the third, and he fell to a 3-6, 6-1, 1-6 defeat.
Djokovic won seven straight-set matches and two titles before encountering any more trouble at the China Open. He dropped his next set in the first round of the 2012 China Open, against Germany’s Michael Berrer.
The world number 123 had advanced through the qualifying tournament to reach the main draw and was determined to make the most of his opportunity. After losing the first set 6-1, Berrer pushed Djokovic all the way to a tiebreaker in the second. Playing some of his best tennis in the crucial moments, the German won the tiebreaker 7-6 (7-3). He then suffered the same fate as Verdasco in the third set and ran out of steam. Djokovic survived, beating Berrer, 6-1, 6-7, 6-2.
Djokovic didn’t lose a set for the remainder of the tournament as he won his third China Open title. He then won his opening match in 2013 before facing Verdasco again in a rematch of their 2009 clash.
Verdasco, ranked 22 places lower than he was in 2009 (31), walked onto the court as a major underdog against the world number one, but was determined to deliver an upset. After a tight first set went against him, losing 5-7, Verdasco won the second, 6-2, to move within touching distance of the win. He couldn’t finish the job, though, and lost the final set 6-2.
Djokovic hasn’t lost a set in Beijing since. The Serb is a record six-time champion and remains unbeaten at the China Open.
Novak Djokovic’s 30 wins at the China Open
| Year | Performance | Match wins |
| 2009 | Champion | 5 (Victor Hanescu, Viktor Troicki, Fernando Verdasco, Robin Soderling, Marin Cilic) |
| 2010 | Champion | 4 (Gong Maoxin, Gilles Simon, John Isner, David Ferrer) |
| 2012 | Champion | 5 (Michael Berrer, Carlos Berlocq, Jurgen Melzer, Florian Mayer, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga) |
| 2013 | Champion | 5 (Lukas Rosol, Fernando Verdasco, Sam Querrey, Richard Gasquet, Rafael Nadal) |
| 2014 | Champion | 5 (Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, Vasek Pospisil, Grigor Dimitrov, Andy Murray, Tomas Berdych) |
| 2015 | Champion | 5 (Simone Bolelli, Zhang Ze, John Isner, David Ferrer, Rafael Nadal) |
| 2026 | Second round | 1 (Nuno Borges) |
Who will Novak Djokovic play in the second round of the China Open?
Searching for his 31st win in Beijing, Djokovic will take on the home favourite, Yunchaokete Bu. The Chinese star defeated Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the first round, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.
Bu has never played Djokovic before; however, history tells us he will be up against it in the second round. Not only has Djokovic never lost in Beijing, but he’s also never lost to a Chinese opponent.
Novak Djokovic’s record vs Chinese players (4-0)
- 2010 China Open R32 vs Gong Maoxin, 6-1, 6-3
- 2015 China Open R16 vs Ze Zhang, 6-2, 6-1
- 2024 United Cup RR vs Zhizhen Zhang, 6-3, 6-2
- 2026 Wimbledon R128 vs Yibing Wu, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
Djokovic will be confident of his chances against Bu, although his quarter-final match might not be quite so simple. He could play Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the last eight, provided he defeats Cameron Norrie and Juncheng Shang or Sebastian Baez in his first two matches.
Only time will tell if Djokovic can remain unbeaten in Beijing this year. He will return to play Bu for a spot in the quarter-finals on Friday, October 2.
