Novak Djokovic defies fitness concerns to clinch victory at China Open

Novak Djokovic made a winning start at the China Open, defeating World No. 49 Nuno Borges, but suffered physically on Wednesday.

Djokovic returned to the tennis court after nearly a month since his first-round loss to Argentina's Mariano Navone at the US Open. The Serb entered the China Open draw, playing the ATP 500 tournament for the first time in 11 years.

Novak Djokovic has enjoyed remarkable success in Beijing, winning the ATP 500 event in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. The six-time China Open champion had a 29-0 undefeated record in Beijing before this match.

Despite a medical timeout, Novak earned his 15th win of 2026. He looked good in the first set, winning 6-3. However, he required a medical timeout in the middle of the second set for an apparent tweak in his back.

Djokovic also appeared out of breath and frequently squatted over after long physical rallies. But escaped with a straight-set win following a 7-6(2) second-set performance.

The 39-year-old Serbian is now ranked world No.11 after dropping out of the top 10 for the first time since 2018.

Responding to recent fitness concerns, Djokovic on Monday said his body is responding well.

“Yeah, feeling good so far. Obviously, it’s completely different when you’re playing an official match compared to practice sets. But so far so good,” he told reporters.

With a 25th Grand Slam title still a key target, Djokovic has become more selective with his schedule in recent years.