Novak Djokovic Survives Three-Hour Epic Against Bu Yunchaokete to Keep 31-Match China Open Streak Alive

The aura of invincibility surrounding Novak Djokovic in Beijing took a massive hit on Friday night, but the streak survived. Pushed to the absolute brink by 104th-ranked Chinese wildcard Bu Yunchaokete, the 39-year-old Serbian engineered a gritty 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-2 comeback in the second round of the China Open.

The nearly three-hour midnight thriller preserved one of the most absurd statistics in modern tennis. Djokovic is now a flawless 31-0 lifetime at the ATP 500 event, a tournament he has won six times but had not entered since 2015.

"I tried to keep myself on this court for the last three hours and it's almost midnight," Djokovic told the roaring crowd after sealing the win. "I want to keep this record for me and all of you guys."

For the first 90 minutes, that record looked destined to shatter. Bu, a 24-year-old riding a wave of home support and fresh off a deep run in Hangzhou, played fearless baseline tennis. He consistently rushed Djokovic, converting a pivotal break point to snatch the opening set 6-4.

Bu entered the match carrying significant momentum, having compiled a 22-14 hard-court record in 2026. He dismantled Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in the first round and brought that exact same aggressive, heavy-hitting blueprint to his monumental clash with the former world number one.[1]

The physical toll on the 24-time Grand Slam champion was glaringly obvious. Gasps for air at the changeovers and a mid-match medical timeout to treat his rib area mirrored the struggles he faced in his opening-round win over Nuno Borges.[2]

"He was so solid. I struggled to really find holes in his game and was hitting his spots really well with his serve," Djokovic admitted during his post-match press conference.

The Tiebreak Turning Point

When the second set dragged into a tiebreak, the pressure inside the Capital Group Diamond stadium was suffocating. Yet, this is exactly where Djokovic's legendary muscle memory took over, as he locked down his unforced errors and dominated the sequence 7-2.

The momentum shift was immediate and violent. Djokovic opened the deciding third set by breaking Bu's serve twice in rapid succession, storming out to an insurmountable 4-0 lead while the Chinese wildcard finally began to fade.

Djokovic closed the door on his second match point, firing a crosscourt backhand winner to finalize the 6-2 third set. He saved multiple break points throughout the grueling contest, leaning heavily on his first serve when his movement was compromised.

"Credit to him for playing well. The atmosphere was amazing," Djokovic noted, acknowledging the electric environment. "Packed stadium again for three hours — what a match to be a part of."

The Road to the Title

The victory vaults Djokovic into the quarterfinals, keeping his pursuit of a seventh Beijing crown alive. He will face either top-seeded Alexander Zverev or rising Chinese star Juncheng Shang in the next round.

For Bu Yunchaokete, the defeat marks a heartbreaking end to a breakout Asian swing, but the performance validates his rapid ascent. Taking a set off the greatest player of this generation on center court proves the 24-year-old belongs on the main tour.

Djokovic's physical condition remains the massive lingering question mark as the tournament deepens. With back-to-back matches requiring medical intervention for his ribs—an issue that first flared up during his August loss in Cincinnati—the Serbian's recovery window is shrinking ahead of a brutal weekend schedule.[2]

The China Open serves as a crucial tune-up for the upcoming Shanghai Masters 1000 event. For Djokovic, stacking points in Beijing is essential for his bid to qualify for the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin this November.

If he wants to lift the trophy on Wednesday, Djokovic will need to find an extra gear. But as Friday night proved once again, betting against his survival instincts in Beijing is a losing proposition.