Novak Djokovic defeats Bu Yunchaokete in Beijing to reach 31-0 tournament record

Comeback victory on Diamond Court

Novak Djokovic, ranked world number 11, advanced to the quarter-finals of the China Open on Friday, 2 October 2026, overcoming China's Bu Yunchaokete 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-2. The contest on the hard court of Beijing's Diamond Central Court lasted two hours and 52 minutes in front of a packed stadium. Spectators inside the arena divided their support between the Serbian player and the local challenger throughout the three-set encounter. Bu, ranked 104th in the ATP world rankings, pushed the six-time tournament champion into a deciding set after claiming the opening set in 10 games. The Chinese player broke Djokovic's serve in the seventh game of the match, maintaining that advantage to take the opener 6-4. Djokovic had returned to the tournament after an 11-year absence, seeking to defend an unblemished career record in the Chinese capital.

Medical timeout and second-set turnaround

Health difficulties surfaced for the 39-year-old Serbian during the early stages of the second set, leading him to request a medical timeout after several games. The tournament physiotherapist attended to Djokovic directly on court to treat discomfort in his hip and abdomen. Following the treatment, Djokovic broke Bu's serve in the third game of the second set to establish a lead. The Chinese player struck back immediately by breaking Djokovic's serve in the next game, levelling the set at 3-3. The second set proceeded without further breaks to a tie-break, where Djokovic maintained control to win 7-2. In the third set, Djokovic took command of baseline rallies, conceding only two games to close out the match 6-2. The physical strain forced the Serbian to defend his unbeaten Beijing streak through a demanding decider.

Equalling Rafael Nadal's tournament record

The three-set win extends Djokovic's career record at the China Open to 31 wins and zero defeats across seven tournament appearances. With this 31st consecutive victory, Djokovic equalled the Open Era record set by Rafael Nadal for the best career start at a single tournament, which the Spaniard established at Roland Garros. Djokovic is competing in the Chinese capital for the first time in 11 years, having won the event on six previous occasions. The progression in Beijing provides momentum following consecutive early-round eliminations on hard courts in the United States. Earlier in the season, Djokovic lost at Cincinnati to Thiago Agustin Tirante (6-2, 4-6, 4-6) and subsequently exited the US Open in the opening rounds against Mariano Navone (7-6, 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1).

Competing quarter-final matchups reported

Djokovic moves into the quarter-finals still in contention to claim a seventh China Open title in Beijing. Discrepancies exist across tournament coverage regarding his confirmed opponent in the final eight. Belgian outlet 7sur7 reported that Djokovic will meet either Daniil Medvedev or Jan-Lennard Struff in the quarter-final round. Conversely, Polish sports outlet Polsat Sport reported that his next match will come against the winner of the fixture between Alexander Zverev and Juncheng Shang. The Serbian veteran enters the next stage after enduring nearly three hours of physical play on court during Friday's second-round contest.