Djokovic regains his smile and wins again three months later

Novak Djokovic and China have an irreplaceable bond. It could only be in the Asian land where Nole regained his smile, his energy (though partially, as there were also moments of doubt and suffering)... and, most importantly: the victories. Winning is the fuel for any tennis player, and the Belgradian filled his tank again, doing so without dropping any sets and completing a more than solid match in his debut at the ATP Beijing 2026 against Nuno Borges (6-3, 7-6(2)).

The doubts before his debut in the Chinese capital were significant. Videos circulated on social media showing him looking downcast around the tournament facilities, and some media outlets indicated that he had vomited after his last training session; the feelings were, indeed, not good at all. The match script started like in his outings in Cincinnati and New York: good percentages with the first serve, a wide number of short points in his favor, and a start where he set the pace. It remained to be seen, of course, if Novak was ready to maintain his energy levels and not fall apart, as had happened against Tirante and Navone... and this time the cliff was by no means as steep.

Djokovic asked for a medical timeout due to discomfort in his rib area

The first set was a clear demonstration of what Novak Djokovic needs to win a tennis match at the age of 39: over 80% of points won on his first serve, serve + 1 combinations where he leveraged the variations of his first stroke to open up the court and execute, and parallel shots frequently to change the rhythm and avoid long points. Borges started slow and began to inflict more damage from the baseline to Nole, but it was not enough to suffocate him, and Djokovic achieved his first goal: sealing the first set without too much strain.

The second set was another story... but it proved that Novak is more ready for this challenge than in previous tournaments. Although the humidity in Beijing can be very demanding, the conditions did not seem as extreme as in Ohio or New York, and that showed when it came to maintaining the intensity of exchanges when the clock surpassed the one-hour mark. Far from the effectiveness in long points of previous years, yes, but Djokovic managed to stay on his feet when Nuno began to push him corner to corner and when the points started to exceed six or seven strokes.

Knowing that he could compete on equal terms, that this time his physique was not going to completely abandon him, Djokovic accepted the challenge and increased the speed of his shots, hitting incredible parallel backhands and forehands to keep his foot in a territory he wants to tread less and less. However, a wrong move forced him to call for a medical timeout halfway through the set, aiming to treat a slight discomfort in his right rib area that seemed to be just something circumstantial.

Reaching the tiebreak, Nole brought out his best version, the one many had been longing for, and signed an impressive point to unleash the hostilities that would ultimately lead Borges to succumb mentally. He measured up in all terrains imaginable, and although there were signs of fatigue after each long point, some return errors that indicate he still needs more time after each laborious exchange... the feelings are better than in the United States. Not celebrating just yet, but Djokovic enjoyed winning (and smiling) again in a place where he has already accumulated 30! consecutive victories, still undefeated. His unstoppable streak will be put to the test again in a couple of days when he faces Buyunchaokete in the second round.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Djokovic recupera la sonrisa y vuelve a ganar tres meses después