Djokovic beats Borges in Beijing to record first win since Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic beat Nuno Borges in Beijing at the China Open on 30 September 2026 to record his first match victory since reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals in July. The 39-year-old secured the win and progressed in the tournament after the straight-sets result.

Djokovic is a 39-year-old former world number one and a 24-time Grand Slam champion. He has won the China Open six times between 2009 and 2015 and is bidding to claim a record-extending seventh title. His return to the event comes after an extended absence from this tournament.

Djokovic defeated Borges 6-3 7-6 (7-2) in one hour and 50 minutes. He struggled in the second set, used his racquet to stretch his back between games and required a medical timeout to receive treatment to his right shoulder. Despite those issues he closed out the match to advance.

The victory was Djokovic's 30th consecutive win in Beijing, maintaining his unbeaten record at the China Open. This was his first appearance at the event since 2015. The win keeps him on course in the early rounds as he seeks another title in the tournament.

Djokovic revealed in August that he has been dealing with an underlying health condition that causes particular issues in hot, humid conditions for "the past couple of years" and he was described as far from his best against Portuguese Borges. 'I feel I am imprisoning myself' - Djokovic on drive & doubts.

Great Britain's Katie Boulter progressed to the second round in the women's draw with a straight-sets victory over Mai Hontama of Japan. Boulter, 30, won 6-3 6-4.

Djokovic's win sets up a second-round match against wildcard Bu Yunchaokete of China, while Boulter will face Czech seventh seed Karolina Muchova in the next round.