Serbian star battles through back discomfort and fatigue to defeat Nuno Borges in straight sets in Beijing

Novak Djokovic began his China Open campaign with a hard-fought victory over world No. 49 Nuno Borges, overcoming visible physical discomfort to secure a straight-set win in Beijing.

The Serbian returned to competitive action after almost a month away from the ATP Tour. His previous appearance came at the US Open, where he suffered a first-round defeat against Argentina’s Mariano Navone.

Djokovic’s return to Beijing is particularly notable given his impressive history at the tournament. The 39-year-old has won the China Open six times, lifting the trophy in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.

Before facing Borges, Djokovic had maintained a remarkable 29-match winning streak in Beijing. His latest appearance also marked his first participation in the ATP 500 event in 11 years.

The former world No. 1 looked comfortable during the opening set and moved ahead 6-3. However, his physical condition became a concern during the second set when he took a medical timeout after appearing to experience an issue with his back.

Djokovic also showed signs of fatigue as the contest progressed. During several lengthy rallies, he appeared short of breath and repeatedly bent or squatted over between points.

Despite those difficulties, the six-time champion managed to maintain his composure. He dominated the second-set tiebreak, winning it 7-2, to complete the victory without dropping a set.

The result gave Djokovic his 15th match win of the 2026 season and provided a positive start to his return following his early US Open exit.

Djokovic currently occupies 11th position in the ATP rankings after falling outside the top 10 for the first time since 2018. He has increasingly adopted a selective tournament schedule as he manages the demands of competing at the highest level.

Ahead of the China Open, Djokovic had said his body was responding well during training, while acknowledging that competitive matches present a different physical challenge.

The Serbian remains focused on extending his record at the Grand Slam level, with a historic 25th major title continuing to be an important objective.