Novak Djokovic breaks this record of Rafael Nadal: Details here
What's the story
Novak Djokovic has set a new record at the 2026 China Open, extending his unbeaten run at the ATP 500 event to 32 matches. The Serbian tennis star defeated top seed Alexander Zverev in a thrilling encounter, winning 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. With this victory, Djokovic surpassed Rafael Nadal's record for the best start by a men's singles player at a single event in the Open Era, according to ATP.
Record-breaking achievement
Djokovic surpasses Nadal's record
Djokovic's unbeaten streak at the China Open has now stretched to 32 matches, breaking Nadal's previous record of 31 consecutive wins at Roland Garros.
Rafael Nadal had a stellar career at the French Open, winning the prestigious clay-court title a record 14 times with an impressive overall record of 112-4.
However, it was his unbeaten start of 31 matches that Djokovic has now bettered in Beijing.
Match details
Djokovic's unbeaten run at China Open
Djokovic's unbeaten run at the China Open comes after a long absence from the tournament since 2015.
The Serbian star is a record six-time champion in Beijing and had won all of his previous 29 matches at this event.
Djokovic defeated Nuno Borges and Yunchaokete Bu before facing Zverev in the quarter-finals.
He will next face fellow former No.1 Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals.
Twitter Post
History for Djokovic
PERFECT IN BEIJING 🔥@DjokerNole becomes the first man in the Open Era to win his first 32 matches at a single event, moving past Rafa’s 31-0 start at Roland Garros 🤯@ChinaOpen | #ChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/Mb0YLnVhiG
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 4, 2026
Form
A look at his current form
Djokovic concluded his 2026 Grand Slam season with a 12-3 record. He lost the Australian Open final to Carlos Alcaraz before suffering a third-round exit at Roland Garros.
Djokovic reached the Wimbledon semi-final and then had a shocking first-round exit at the US Open.
His last ATP title came in November 2025 at the Athens Open. This was his record 101st career ATP singles title.