Djokovic defeats Zverev to reach China Open semi-finals

Novak Djokovic defeated China Open top seed Alexander Zverev in Beijing on 5 October, winning 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the semi-finals, according to Al Jazeera. Djokovic subsequently moved into the final after Daniil Medvedev was disqualified when his ball struck a spectator.³⁴⁵

Djokovic recovers against top seed

Al Jazeera reported that Zverev took the opening set before Djokovic levelled the match and then broke the German at 5-4 in the deciding set to complete the victory. The report said their previous meeting had come almost 16 months earlier, when Djokovic won in four sets at the 2025 French Open.³

According to the same report, Zverev served 19 aces, while Djokovic described his own start as poor and said he did not feel properly warmed up. The match also included a dispute concerning electronic advertising signs. The victory put Djokovic, identified by the outlet as a six-time China Open champion, into a semi-final against Medvedev.³

Medvedev reached the last four by defeating Francisco Cerundolo 7-6(4), 6-3, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet said Djokovic’s quarter-final victory kept him in contention for a seventh Beijing title and his first trophy of the year.³

Semi-final ends with default

Djokovic led Medvedev 7-5, 5-3 when the semi-final ended, according to the BBC. After losing a point, Medvedev struck a ball into the stands and hit a spectator. ESPN and the BBC reported that the spectator was seated in the front row and was helped from the arena while holding a hand over the left eye; Sky Sports reported that the spectator was subsequently taken to hospital.¹⁴⁵

According to the BBC, Medvedev consulted Mohamed Lahyani, the chair umpire, and a representative of the ATP before going to the net to shake Djokovic’s hand. Medvedev said the incident was accidental and expressed a wish to apologise directly to the spectator. Djokovic said he did not believe Medvedev had intended to hit anyone and hoped the spectator was not seriously injured.¹⁴

The default sent Djokovic into the final and extended his China Open record to 33-0. The BBC and Sky Sports said Medvedev would lose the ranking points and prize money accumulated during his run to the semi-finals.¹⁴⁵

Final set against De Minaur

Djokovic was scheduled to face Alex de Minaur in the China Open final. De Minaur advanced when Hubert Hurkacz retired during their semi-final while trailing 6-4, 3-2. The Guardian reported that Hurkacz had an adductor injury and had experienced difficulty moving during the match.²⁴⁵

The Guardian noted that both Beijing semi-finals therefore finished before completion. It also reported that Djokovic had himself been disqualified from the 2020 US Open in comparable circumstances after a ball he hit struck a line judge.²