Novak Djokovic wins seventh China Open title after Alex de Minaur retirement

Djokovic had taken a tight opening set 7-6(3), but both players required medical attention before the second set began. De Minaur returned to the court with heavy strapping on his left thigh and managed to win the opening game before calling it a day.

The victory gives Djokovic the 102nd tour-level title of his career, moving him to within one of Roger Federer's 103 for second place on the Open Era list. Only Jimmy Connors, with 109, has won more.

It also extends Djokovic's unbeaten China Open record to 34 matches and makes him the first man in the Open Era to win a tour-level title in 21 consecutive seasons.

The Serbian had not played in Beijing since 2015, when he defeated Rafael Nadal in the final to claim his sixth title. He returned in impressive fashion this week, beating world No. 2 Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals before advancing to the final when Daniil Medvedev was disqualified during their semi-final.

Djokovic was tested by De Minaur in the opening set, with the Australian using his speed and court coverage to put pressure on his opponent. De Minaur had a break point at 2-2, but Djokovic produced a superb backhand passing shot to escape the danger.

The set eventually went to a tie-break, where Djokovic pulled clear to take it 7-3.

Both players then called for the physio, with Djokovic receiving treatment before De Minaur left the court. The Australian returned but was unable to continue after the first game of the second set.

"I want to say sorry to all the amazing fans who came to watch this match," De Minaur said. "I didn't want to finish like this, so I'm really sorry.

"To my team - those who are here and also back home - thank you. It's been a great week and I'm sure there's plenty more to come."

The unusual ending left Djokovic with mixed emotions as he celebrated his first title in more than a year.

"It's a bit of a strange feeling, to be honest," Djokovic said. "I want to celebrate, because I've played one of the best weeks in the last couple of years. At the same time, he retired at the beginning of the second, so it doesn't feel right to jump around and be joyful.

"But deep inside, I'm very proud of this achievement."

The 39-year-old has endured a difficult season physically, but his run in Beijing has strengthened his hopes of qualifying for the ATP Finals in Turin.

He has moved up six places to ninth in the live race, while his 500-point haul puts him 140 points ahead of 10th-placed De Minaur.

"This year has been quite challenging for me: Lots of physical and health issues," Djokovic said.

"I was just trying to find a good feeling on the court. I know that if I'm feeling well and striking the ball well, I can compete at the highest level. This week has been evidence of that."

The title is Djokovic's first since his limited schedule saw him focus on managing his physical condition, and it marks his second final of the year after he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open showpiece.

It also makes him the oldest player to win an ATP Tour-level title since Ken Rosewall, who was 43 when he triumphed in Hong Kong in 1977. 

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