Fierce Battle in the First Set and Forced Retirement
The final of the Beijing tournament brought extremely high-quality tennis in the first set, but unfortunately ended earlier than anyone had hoped. Alex De Minaur was forced to retire against Novak Djokovic after the Serbian tennis player won the first set 7-6(3), and the Australian took a 1-0 lead at the start of the second set due to an adductor injury.
No breaks were seen during the first set, although opportunities existed. Djokovic missed two break points (in the second and fourth games), while De Minaur came up short on his only opportunity in the third game. The Australian played more aggressively, recording 18 winners compared to Novak’s 6, but Djokovic demonstrated clinical precision on his serve, winning an incredible 90% of points on his first serve (18/20). The decision came down to the tie-break, where Novak shifted into a higher gear, took a 4-1 lead, and routinely closed out the set at 7-3.
De Minaur clarified that he felt no issues before stepping onto the court, but began experiencing muscle pain midway through the first set. His condition progressively worsened, so after losing the tie-break and the opening game of the second set, he decided not to risk a more serious injury. He approached the net and shook Djokovic’s hand.
History Written: Monica Seles’ Absolute Record Falls
With this triumph, Novak Djokovic has once again pushed the boundaries of tennis immortality. By winning the final, he reached an unreal record of 34-0 at the Beijing tournament. In doing so, he surpassed the absolute Open Era record previously held by the legendary Monica Seles with 33 consecutive victories without a loss at a single tournament (specifically at the Australian Open). As a reminder, Djokovic had already overtaken Rafael Nadal’s men’s record of 31 consecutive wins (set at Roland Garros) during his quarter-final match, and has now cemented his place entirely alone at the very top of tennis history.
Uncertainty for De Minaur Ahead of Shanghai
The Australian tennis player now begins a race against time. His plan is to travel to Shanghai to undergo detailed medical examinations and an MRI on his injured adductor. His participation in the upcoming Rolex Shanghai Masters remains in question and will depend entirely on the results of those scans. If he is cleared to play, he will face the winner of the match between Federico Cina and Alex Molcan in the first round.
For a complete analysis of the tournament, a retrospective of all matches, and the final look at the draw, check out our central report: 👉 ATP Beijing 2026 – Complete Guide and Draw.
