Novak Djokovic came from a set down to beat Alexander Zverev 4–6, 6–4, 6–4 on Sunday, October 4, 2026, reaching the semifinals of the Beijing ATP 500. The Serbian knocked out the top seed and preserved his perfect China Open record: 32 wins from 32 matches.
Two breaks when they mattered most
Zverev moved ahead by breaking Djokovic in the opening game. The German protected that advantage and saved two break points while serving out the first set.
Djokovic's response came late in the second. At 4–4, he escaped a break point; in the next game, he earned his first break to level the match. In the deciding set, he again survived a break opportunity and settled the contest on return, with Zverev serving at 4–5.
The statistics published on Djokovic's official website show how hard the match was contested. Zverev finished with 19 aces to four and 48 winners to 30. Djokovic, however, won 82% of his first-serve points and ended with 95 points overall to his opponent's 85. The German's attacking output could not prevent late breaks from deciding the final two sets.
Unbeaten, with Medvedev next
A six-time Beijing champion, Djokovic is playing the event for the first time since 2015. This victory leaves him two wins away from a seventh title at the tournament.
Monday's semifinal will be against Daniil Medvedev, who beat Francisco Cerundolo 7–6(4), 6–3. The Russian, last week's Hangzhou champion, has reached the semifinals on all four of his China Open appearances and is still seeking his first Beijing trophy. Hubert Hurkacz and Alex de Minaur will contest the other semifinal.
Official Tennis TV highlights capture the key moments of Djokovic's comeback against Zverev.
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