Djokovic vs Borges in Beijing: First Match Since US Open
A month after his loss to Navone in New York, Novak Djokovic opens the Beijing tournament on Wednesday, not before 1 p.m., against Portugal's Nuno Borges.
When he faced Marino Navone in the first round of the US Open on August 30, Novak Djokovic was vomiting in the middle of the match, and his shoulder and back were giving him trouble. The match lasted 4 hours and 36 minutes and ended in his defeat. A month later he is back on court in Beijing, and the schedule is now set: he plays his first-round match at the ATP 500 tournament on Wednesday, September 30, not before 1 p.m. Serbian time, against Portugal’s Nuno Borges.
Who plays before him and who waits in the second round
The draw was known earlier, and the order of play for Wednesday has now arrived. He follows the match between Karen Khachanov and Felix Auger-Aliassime at 5 a.m., and two women’s singles matches come after his. That is why the schedule says “not before 1 p.m.”: the exact start depends on how long the matches ahead of him last.
Djokovic has met Borges once. In the quarterfinals of the Athens tournament in 2025, the Serb won 7-6(1), 6-4. Whoever advances plays the winner of the match between Juan Manuel Cerundolo and Yunchaokete Bu in the second round.
What he said about his body and form
Djokovic held a press conference in Beijing on Monday, September 28, his first since New York. He spoke in English, so we are quoting him in the original.
“Yeah, feeling good so far,” he told reporters. He admitted right away that there is a difference between practice and a real match: “Obviously it’s completely different when you’re playing an official match compared to practice sets or practice sessions.”
He then added: “Overall, it’s been really good so far with the body, the way I’m feeling and playing.” On coming to China, he said: “So far so good. I was looking forward to coming to China, as I always have.”
On his record in China, he said:
My record speaks for itself on Chinese soil. Knowing that, it also brings this dimension of confidence that I really need.
Beijing: 29 wins and no losses
Djokovic has never lost a match in Beijing: 29 wins and 0 defeats. Al Jazeera reports that he won the title at this tournament in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, six times in all, while B92 writes about five titles in five previous appearances. The years listed by Al Jazeera add up to six, so we go with that number. He last played in Beijing in 2015, 11 years ago.
He explained himself why he is returning now. In recent years he has picked his tournaments, and in Beijing, as he puts it, he feels welcome:
At this stage of my career, it’s really also about the tournaments where I enjoy to play, where I’ve had the success in the past, where I feel like I’m also welcomed by the fans in a positive light, in a positive way.
In recent years his schedule allowed him to play only Shanghai in China, and this year, as he says: “This year, Beijing was on the priority list.”
What is at stake for Djokovic
Djokovic is 39, currently ranked 11th on the ATP list, and a 24-time Grand Slam champion. The pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title remains one of the few big goals he has left. Beijing would bring him a 102nd career title, his first this season. His best result of 2026 is the Australian Open final, lost to Carlos Alcaraz.
For Wednesday, the question is how well his shoulder and back will hold up, since both gave him problems in New York. If he gets past Borges, the next step is a second-round match against the winner of Cerundolo and Bu. The first serve on Wednesday comes no earlier than 1 p.m. our time.
