BEIJING (AP) — Novak Djokovic was awarded the China Open trophy on Tuesday after his opponent, Alex de Minaur, was forced to retire due to injury in the final. Both players requested medical timeouts after the first set. De Minaur experienced a groin issue and withdrew after winning the opening game of the second set.
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Djokovic won the match with a score of 7-6 (3), 0-1, and improved his record at the China Open to 34-0. This victory marks his seventh title at the event and his 102nd overall on the ATP tour, placing him one title behind Roger Federer and Jimmy Connors, who holds the record with 109 titles in the Open era.
Earlier in the year, Djokovic had lost in the final of the Australian Open to Carlos Alcaraz. De Minaur, currently ranked No. 9, was aiming for his first title in Beijing and his second overall this year after winning in Rotterdam in February.
In the initial set, De Minaur managed to keep Djokovic at bay with his aggressive groundstrokes, saving two break points before ultimately faltering in the tiebreak. He recorded 11 winners compared to Djokovic's three.
Djokovic had impressive performances leading up to the final, including victories over top-10 players such as U.S. Open champion Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals and Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals, following Medvedev's disqualification for striking a spectator with the ball. De Minaur reached the final after Hubert Hurkacz retired during their match.