Novak Djokovic won his first title of 2026 on Tuesday, October 6, at the Beijing ATP 500. The Serbian took the opening set 7–6(3), but the final ended when Alex de Minaur retired while leading 1–0 in the second. The match lasted one hour and 23 minutes.
There were no breaks of serve in the opening set. Djokovic saved a break point in the fifth game and prevailed in the tie-break. Both players received medical attention afterwards; De Minaur returned, held serve and was unable to continue because of injury.
Seven titles in seven appearances
The result took Djokovic to 102 tour-level singles titles, one short of Roger Federer. Jimmy Connors leads the men's Open Era list with 109.
Beijing holds a special place in that tally: Djokovic won the tournament for the seventh time and extended his record to 34 victories from 34 matches. He had not played the event since 2015.
The triumph also kept another streak alive: the Serbian became the first man in the Open Era to win at least one tour-level title in 21 consecutive seasons.
Confidence restored
Speaking after the final, Djokovic described the week as a boost to his confidence following physical difficulties and poor results during the American swing. At 39, he highlighted the crowd's support and his ability to compete at the highest level again.
The official Tennis TV highlights feature Djokovic and De Minaur in the 2026 Beijing final.
