Novak Djokovic Wins China Open Clash Against Alex de Minaur Without Playing Full Match

While Novak Djokovic preserved his unbeaten record in Beijing, his final against Alex De Minaur did not end with the Serb beating the Australian outright. No one could have foreseen the ending, given how the match was going for the first hour, with both players holding serve, and Djokovic clinching it in the tiebreak as he has done numerous times in his career.

The first set ended with both players taking their designated medical timeouts. While Djokovic was visibly exhausted, De Minaur was struggling with his leg. The Australian went off court for treatment and was seen heavily taped around his left thigh once he came back on the court after more than ten minutes. While the Australian won the first game of the second set, he could not go on, pulling the plug, which saw the Serb win his 102nd career title.

For De Minaur, the injury robbed him of the chance of pushing the Serb in the final. The scenes would not have thrilled the World No.9’s fans as the Australian sat on the player bench while really putting in an effort to hold his tears back, which was not the case for his coach, Lleyton Hewitt, with the former World No.1 visibly emotional at his countryman’s plight.

Lower-body injuries have previously hampered De Minaur’s career. Back at the 2024 Wimbledon, he injured his hip after winning a match against Arthur Fils in the fourth round. The injury was severe enough for De Minaur to pull out ahead of his quarterfinal match against none other than Djokovic.

The Serb himself has been struggling with physical conditions all throughout the year. Cramps, lower back pain, vomiting, and frequent lying on his back for medical timeouts have been common scenes for the 24-time Major champion this year, including at the China Open itself, where he needed medical timeouts during his second-round match against Bu Yunchaokete.

Even though the Serb was overjoyed with his seventh title in Beijing, he did not forget to extend his sympathies to De Minaur after the harsh end to the match.

Novak Djokovic Has Kind Words for Alex De Minaur After the Australian Retires in the Beijing Final

For someone who has eight injury-related retirements at the Grand Slams, very few know the pain of withdrawing from a high-stakes match compared to Djokovic. The Serb was not short of kind words for De Minaur after the Australian’s campaign in Beijing came to a heartbreaking end.

“But I just realized it was rude for me not to start with Alex and his team,” said Djokovic during his on-court victory speech. “You know, congratulations for a great week. And I’m really sorry for the way you had to finish today. And I really hope that you can recover quickly. Definitely one of the most exciting players to watch on the tour. And I wish you definitely all the best for this year and the years to come.”

Djokovic knows the pain of not being able to play at their best due to injuries, which saw him suffer an unexpected loss against Mariano Navone at the US Open. Despite having a decisive lead in the match, the Serb’s body completely shut down, leading to him losing eleven of the final twelve games and suffering a first-round exit at a Slam for the first time in two decades.

The final result has broader implications for the ATP Finals qualification chances of both De Minaur and Djokovic. With their respective runs at the China Open, the Serb and the Australian now sit on 9th and 10th on the ATP Race Rankings. While both players are in the draw for the Shanghai Masters starting later this week, there’s uncertainty around De Minaur’s participation, which will affect the Australian’s chances of being in Turin by the year’s end.

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