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Djokovic Beats Borges in Beijing for First Win Since Wimbledon Semi-Final
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In brief
Novak Djokovic defeated Portugal's Nuno Borges 6-3, 7-6(2) in his opening match at the China Open on 30 September 2026, his first tour-level win since losing the Wimbledon semi-final in July. The 39-year-old Serbian had not played a match since a five-set first-round loss at the US Open on 31 August and needed an on-court medical timeout against Borges.
Novak Djokovic returned to competitive tennis on 30 September 2026 with a 6-3, 7-6(2) win over Portugal's Nuno Borges in the first round of the China Open in Beijing, according to ATP Tour. The match, played on hard court at the Capital Group Diamond Arena, lasted one hour and 51 minutes.
It was the sixth-seeded Djokovic's first tour-level victory since his Wimbledon semi-final loss to Jannik Sinner in July, Sky Sports reported. He had not played a match of any kind since a first-round exit at the US Open on 31 August, a gap of roughly a month.
Djokovic received an on-court medical timeout while trailing in the second set against Borges, with the physio treating his back, both ATP Tour and Sky Sports reported. He recovered to win the second-set tiebreak 7-2 without dropping a point on serve in his closing games, Sky Sports said.
In the second set he started playing better and I struggled a little bit physically to stay fresh.
A month-long gap after a difficult US Open
Djokovic's absence traced back to a five-set first-round loss to Argentina's Mariano Navone at the US Open on 31 August, which lasted four hours and 36 minutes and ended 7-6(5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, according to Defector and News@Northeastern. The defeat was his first opening-round loss at a Grand Slam since 2006 and his first-ever first-round exit at the US Open, both outlets reported.
During that match Djokovic vomited, cramped and received on-court treatment for his back and shoulder, according to Defector and News@Northeastern. Speaking afterward, he said the problem had recurred in nearly every match he played that season, describing how his body would begin to break down with cramping and pain before his back and shoulder ultimately gave out, both outlets reported.
An unbeaten record in Beijing
The win over Borges stretched Djokovic's record at the China Open to 30-0, a run that began in 2009 and had not been added to since his 2015 final victory over Rafael Nadal, according to ATP Tour and Sports Yahoo. This was his first appearance at the tournament in 11 years. He has won the event six times, in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
| Tournament | Result | Source date |
|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | Reached the final | Jan 2026 (per News@Northeastern) |
| Wimbledon | Lost semi-final to Jannik Sinner | July 2026 (per Sky Sports) |
| US Open | Lost in the first round to Mariano Navone, 5 sets | 31 Aug 2026 (per Defector, News@Northeastern) |
| China Open, Beijing | Won first round vs Nuno Borges, 2 sets | 30 Sept 2026 (per ATP Tour, Sky Sports) |
What comes next
Djokovic's second-round opponent in Beijing is home favourite Bu Yunchaokete, who beat Argentina's Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, Sky Sports reported. At 39, Djokovic is still chasing his first tour title of 2026 and remains seven titles short of Jimmy Connors' all-time record of 109 ATP singles titles, according to ATP Tour.
Questions
- How long had Djokovic been out of competition before the China Open?
- He had not played a match since a first-round loss at the US Open on 31 August 2026, meaning roughly a month passed before his China Open opener on 30 September, according to ATP Tour and Sky Sports.
- Why did Djokovic need a medical timeout against Nuno Borges?
- He received on-court treatment to his back while trailing in the second set, according to ATP Tour and Sky Sports, though he went on to win the match.
- What happened to Djokovic at the US Open?
- He lost a five-set first-round match to Mariano Navone on 31 August 2026, his earliest Grand Slam exit since 2006, after struggling with vomiting, cramping, and back and shoulder pain, according to Defector and News@Northeastern.
- What is Djokovic's record at the China Open?
- He improved to 30-0 at the Beijing tournament with the Borges win, having previously won the event six times between 2009 and 2015, according to ATP Tour and Sports Yahoo.
- Who does Djokovic play next in Beijing?
- He faces home favourite Bu Yunchaokete in the second round, after Bu defeated Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, according to Sky Sports.
Sources
- ATP Tour — Novak Djokovic maintains perfect Beijing record with win on return
- Sky Sports — Novak Djokovic: Former world No 1 lands his first win since Wimbledon with victory over Nuno Borges at the China Open
- Yahoo Sports — Tennis stats: Djokovic's 30-0 Beijing record
- Defector — Novak Djokovic Pukes And Crumbles At The U.S. Open
- News@Northeastern — Tired, Tearful and Vomiting: What's Wrong With Novak Djokovic?
This piece was prepared with artificial intelligence and passed an automated source check before publication. If you see an error, ask for a correction. Request a correction or reply · How we make this
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