Djokovic untouchable after 30th win in Beijing

Novak Djokovic returned to the court in Beijing for the first time in more than a decade and earned his 30th straight victory at the China Open to remain undefeated at the venue.

They sixth-seeded Serb who came through a crisis after going out in the US Open first round, reached the second round in the Chinese capital 6-3, 7-6 (2) as he defeated Nuno Borges in just under two hours.

The 39-year-old has never lost to a Portuguese opponent, standing a perfect 9-0.

Djokovic owns six titles at the event, which he first won in 2010. His last appearance here came in 2015, but that mattered little to a new generation of local fans.

Djokovic finished off a winning tiebreak to reach the second round but still appeared to be experiencing some breathing difficulties after long, draining points.

“My serving was really good for most of the match,” he said. “In the second he played better and I struggled a little bit to stay fresh.

“But the serve helped me to dominate quite comfortably. I was very happy to close the math out in two sets.”

Despite his long absence from the venue, Djokovic said he was somewhat surprised to play in front of a full house of 15,000 for his first match.

“The crowd appreciates what i’ve done in my career and they love the sport. I’ve note played here for 11 years but my record is flawless.

“I feel like at home in China with all of the support. I’ll do my best to go as far as I can and return the crowd’s love and passion.”

Top seed Alexander Zverev, hero for Europe in the weekend Laver Cup in London, may have one less obstacle in his way after tournament No. 2 Felix Auger-Aliassime was upset 6-3, 6-3, in his opening match by Karen Khachanov.

The German leads the ATP in 2026 match wins on 56, including titles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

Main photo:-Novak Djokovic winning in Beijing – by ATPTour.com