On the eve of the tournament, it seemed impossible that Novak Djokovic could maintain his incredible career record in Beijing , where he had never lost in his entire career. And yet the Serbian did it and took the 102nd title of his career , resisting the years and the pain (frequent medical timeouts) and fighting against a prohibitive draw that handed him a consecutive streak against Zverev, Medvedev, and De Minaur .
Especially against the German, the future world number one, in the quarterfinals he put in his classic Zen display, winning a second set in which his opponent had served 96% of his first serves, with a break in the final game, before taking the third with another impressive display. Then, in the final, Alex De Minaur's retirement after losing the first set completed the job .
He hadn't lifted a trophy since last November, in Athens. To return to hold one, Djokovic chose the city that has never betrayed him since 2009 and has continued to remain faithful to him: his seventh title in Beijing, with an impressive record of 34 wins and zero losses in the tournament in the Chinese capital . At 39, the Serbian champion can enjoy his longevity: "It's been 11 years since I last played here," he said during the awards ceremony, "but I was also well aware that the reality today is a little different. I always have high expectations for myself and I always try to imagine myself with the trophy in my hands, but especially here in Beijing, the place where I've never lost." "I know that when I feel good and hit the ball well, I can still compete at the highest level," the Serbian continued. "This week was proof of that, after a complicated year with physical and health problems: it means much more than just a trophy, than just a tournament."
Carlos Alcaraz can also rejoice again, having returned to success at the ATP 500 in Tokyo after a difficult few months with a wrist injury . After an uphill start, the Spaniard, former world number one, fought back against Czech Jiri Lehecka, overturning the momentum of the set and taking it to a tiebreak. In the second set, he then controlled the set, making the decisive break in the seventh game for a final score of 7-6, 6-4 .
This is the 27th career title for the Murcian. "I'm really happy to be able to lift a trophy again," he said afterward. "It's been a while since I've done it, and obviously, it's even more special after the injury."
(Unioneonline)