After a U.S. Open loss that suggested Novak Djokovic might finally be finished at the very top of professional tennis, he is turning back the clock and proving his doubters wrong once again. At the ATP 500 event in Beijing this week, Djokovic is showing that he is still among the very best players in the world when he is fit.
Beijing has been a farming ground for Djokovic over the years. He has never lost a match in the Chinese capital, and he extended that streak on Monday with a semifinal win over Daniil Medvedev, 7-5, 5-3 (def.).
The match ended in somewhat bizarre fashion, as Medvedev was defaulted at 15-15 with Djokovic serving for the match. The Russian hit a ball into the crowd after a point and drilled a fan straight in the face, causing the spectator the leave the court for medical attention.
Not the ending we expected 😮 @DjokerNole advances to the Beijing final after Medvedev is defaulted whilst down 5-7 3-5#ChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/Pae5eNrJ6W
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 5, 2026
It was a frustrating match for Medvedev, who was up an early break in the first set and was in seemingly every Djokovic service game. However, the Serbian saved 16 out of 18 break points and was much more clinical when he got opportunities on return. That clutch play had him three points from the victory when Medvedev was disqualified.
After the match, Djokovic related to Medvedev and had a subdued reaction to the wonky finish.
Article Continues Below“I'm a bit shocked,” Djokovic said, via Jose Morgado. “Sorry for the person. I hope he is not injured. I feel sorry for Daniil as well because I know exactly what it feels to be disqualified in a match for this. I was disqualified at the US Open 2020. I was three points away from the win, incredible battle today.”
The 24-time grand slam champion is referring to his disqualification in the Round of 16 at the 2020 U.S. Open, when Djokovic was the favorite to win the tournament but was defaulted after hitting a lineswoman with a ball during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta.
Djokovic extended his unbeaten streak in Beijing to 33 matches with this win. The six-time champion in the Chinese capital broke Rafael Nadal's record for longest unbeaten streak to start a career at any event with his quarterfinal win over top seed Alexander Zverev on Sunday. He is now set to go for a seventh title on Tuesday against Alex de Minaur.
This result could also have major ramifications for Medvedev. The 2021 U.S. Open champion is slated to lose all of his ranking points and prize money that he earned this week due to the disqualification, pending a likely appeal. He currently sits in the eighth and final spot in the Race to the ATP Finals, so losing 200 ranking points could have a major impact on the year-end championships.
Djokovic vs. de Minaur will get started at 7 p.m. local time (7 a.m. EST) on Tuesday.