Novak Djokovic admitted that 2026 was a serious test for him due to health problems that caused him physical difficulties during much of the season.
The Serb qualified for the quarterfinals of the tournament in Beijing after defeating Bu Yunchaoke in three sets. The match lasted 2 hours and 51 minutes, and the success maintained Djokovic's perfect balance in the competition, where he is a six-time champion.
“The truth is that this year has been very, very difficult for me because of a few specific problems that I'm facing. I'm just trying to find different ways to be in good enough physical and health condition to go out on the court and compete“, Djokovic said after the match.
The 39-year-old tennis player specified that his difficulties were not related to endurance, but to other health problems, about which he did not want to give details.
“In most of the matches and tournaments that I participated in this year, I experienced serious physical difficulties. "It has nothing to do with stamina. It's more to do with health. I don't want to reveal what it is, but my team and I are trying to get to the bottom of the problem. Sometimes things work out better, sometimes not," the Serb added.
Djokovic's strongest performance of the season came at the Australian Open, where he reached the final after defeating Yannick Sinner in the semifinals. However, he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the title fight.
After that, his results were more inconsistent, with Djokovic losing in his first match in Cincinnati and at the US Open. In Beijing, however, he found his winning rhythm again, after defeating Nuno Borges before Bu Yunchaoke.
The Serb now has 31 wins without a loss at the China Open and became the oldest quarterfinalist in an ATP 500 tournament since the series was established in 2009.
The tournament is also important for Djokovic because of the battle for a place in the ATP Finals in Turin. He is ranked 12th in the current annual ranking and has not yet guaranteed his participation in the competition, which he has won a record seven times.
„I have not yet qualified for Turin. This year I would like to play if I qualify“, said Djokovic.
In the quarterfinals in Beijing he could meet Alexander Zverev. The German must first overcome Shan Juncheng. Zverev is 5-9 behind in his head-to-head matches with the Serb, with Djokovic winning their last meeting at “Roland Garros“ in 2025.