Novak Djokovic has spent years chipping away at Roger Federer's place in the record books. After moving past the Swiss for the most men's singles wins at Wimbledon this summer, the 39-year-old Serbian captured the China Open title on Tuesday, his seventh in Beijing, and now sits one trophy behind Federer on the Open Era list.

Djokovic led Alex de Minaur 7-6 (3), 1-0 when the Australian retired from the final with an apparent left leg injury. De Minaur called for the physio early in the first-set tiebreak and stopped after an extended medical timeout.

The win gave Djokovic the 102nd tour-level title of his career. According to Opta, only Jimmy Connors, with 109, and Federer, with 103, have won more in the Open Era. Djokovic now sits ahead of Ivan Lendl (94) and Rafael Nadal (92).

What makes Beijing special is that Djokovic has never lost there. He is now 34-0 at the event, having dropped just five sets along the way. Earlier in the week, his quarterfinal win over Alexander Zverev pushed him past Nadal for the best start at a single tournament by a men's player in the Open Era, eclipsing the Spaniard's 31-0 opening run at Roland Garros.

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The path to this title was hardly routine. After beating Zverev 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, Djokovic reached the final when Daniil Medvedev was defaulted for hitting a spectator with a ball. He then needed only one full set in the final before de Minaur was forced to stop.

The result is a welcome turnaround after a disappointing U.S. Open, where Djokovic was knocked out by Mariano Navone in what was widely viewed as his worst loss at a major this decade. The 24-time Grand Slam champion is now chasing a spot at the ATP Finals in Turin, and a strong Asian swing would go a long way toward securing it.

Next up is the Shanghai Masters, another event where Djokovic has historically thrived. With Jannik Sinner ending his season early to recover from a knee issue, the door is open for a deep run.

If Djokovic adds one more title before the year is out, he will draw level with Federer. Given how he has looked in Beijing, few would bet against it.