China News Service, Beijing, October 7 (Reporter Guo Xuan) In the men's singles final of the 2026 China Tennis Open held at the National Tennis Center in Beijing on the evening of the 6th, the No. 5 seed, Australian player De Minaur, retired due to a left thigh adductor strain at the beginning of the second set. The No. 6 seed, Serbian star Djokovic, won 7:6(3), 0:1, winning the China Open men's singles championship for the seventh time in his career.
This is Djokovic's return to the China Open after 11 years. He has previously participated in the China Open six times in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, winning six times.
Talking before the game about the reason for returning to the China Open after many years, the 39-year-old veteran said that at the end of his career, he focused on choosing events that had achieved good results in the past and were warmly welcomed by fans. "The hardware facilities of the China Open are excellent. I have left many good memories here. I hope I can continue to maintain this status and play a wonderful tournament this year."
The two sides in the final had met four times before, with Djokovic having the upper hand with three wins and one loss. In the first six games of the first set, both sides saved multiple break points and held serve. After that, neither of them got a chance in the other's serve, dragging the game into a "tiebreak". Djokovic scored the first two points in the "tiebreak" game, and then took the lead all the way, winning 7:3.
During the break between sets, both players returned to the locker room to adjust. After the start of the second set, De Minaur took the lead in holding serve, and then he chose to retire.
Djokovic won the China Open men's singles championship again after 11 years and was crowned the "Seventh Champion" of the China Open. The total record of the tournament reached 34 wins and 0 losses. This was also the 102nd tour singles championship in his career. After winning this championship, Djokovic has won the championship for 21 consecutive seasons, once again setting a new record in the Open era held by himself.
Djokovic said after the game that this championship proved that he still has the ability to defeat top players in high-level competitions.
"Perseverance is not innate and needs to be continuously cultivated, whether it is on days when no one is paying attention or in the public eye." Talking about the secret of maintaining competitiveness for many years, he said that tennis is a sport full of challenges, and perseverance, dedication and the spirit of never giving up inspire him to constantly challenge the limits. "I'm not only fighting for myself, I'm fighting for the audience. It's my responsibility and I'm grateful to have this opportunity."
Despite suffering from injuries, De Minaur set a new record for his best record at the China Open. "Apart from the final result, everything was very positive. I gained a lot of confidence this week," he said.
