Novak Djokovic Equals Rafael Nadal’s Historic Record With 31 Straight Wins at China Open

Novak Djokovic equaled Rafael Nadal’s historic Open Era record of 31 consecutive wins from a tournament debut on Friday by overcoming a first-set deficit against Bu Yunchaokete at the China Open in Beijing. The 24-time Grand Slam champion secured a 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-2 victory on the central Diamond court, extending an undefeated streak in the Chinese capital that dates back to his tournament debut in 2009.

The milestone places Djokovic alongside Nadal, who opened his Roland Garros career with 31 straight wins between his 2005 debut and a 2009 round of 16 defeat to Robin Söderling. Both players achieved the feat across their initial appearances at a single event, though Djokovic accomplished his across hard courts in Beijing while managing an 11-year gap between tournament appearances.

How Novak Djokovic Overcame Bu Yunchaokete in Beijing

Bu Yunchaokete, ranked No. 104 in the world, utilized vocal backing from the home crowd to capture the opening set 4-6. Djokovic required treatment from a physiotherapist during the second set as the local favorite pressed his advantage on the hard surface.

Experience proved decisive as the match progressed. Djokovic leveled the contest by dominating the second-set tiebreak 7-2, before breaking early in the decider to seal the final set 6-2.

Comparing the Historic Streaks of Djokovic and Nadal

The statistical parallel bridges two entirely different surfaces and eras of dominance. Nadal’s 31-match surge in Paris established the gold standard for immediate tournament mastery upon debut, yielding titles in his first four participations from 2005 to 2008 before his streak ended in 2009.

Djokovic’s run in Beijing shares the identical numerical threshold but features a unique interruption. The Serbian star won six titles in his first six appearances—compiling a 29-0 record prior to his return to the tournament this season. After opening his 2026 campaign with a win over Nuno Borges to reach 30-0, Friday’s comeback victory against Bu elevated his career mark at the venue to 31-0. At 39 years of age, Djokovic also became the oldest player to reach that round in an ATP 500 event since the category was created in 2009, needing 2 hours and 2 inches—wait, 2 hours and 52 minutes—to secure the win while firing 15 aces.

Quarterfinal Opponent Awaits at the ATP 500 Event

The victory advances him to a quarterfinal matchup scheduled for the weekend in Beijing.

Djokovic’s next test on the hard courts of the Diamond Arena will come against the winner of the round-of-16 clash between US Open champion Alexander Zverev and Chinese competitor Shang Juncheng, listed as No. 250. Meanwhile, other matches saw Russian Karen Khachanov (No. 27) defeat Slovakian Alex Molcan (No. 96) 7-5 and 6-3, and Polish player Hubert Hurkacz (No. 39) overcome Frenchman Arthur Gea (No. 58) 7-6(5), 6-7(5) and 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals. In women’s action, Aryna Sabalekna defeated Renata Zarazúa 6-1 and 6-3, while upcoming second-round matches will feature Paula Badosa (No. 59) against Jelena Ostapenko (No. 32), Cristina Bucsa (No. 35) facing Sun Xinran (No. 582), and Camila Osorio (No. 66) taking on Coco Gauff (No. 4), alongside debuts from Elena Rybakina (No. 1) and Iga Swiatek (No. 9) on a day that also saw Pablo Carreño and Renata Zarazúa eliminated.

More on this story: Novak Djokovic returns to China Open to chase record title streak · Novak Djokovic at China Open 2026: Records, Undefeated Streak and Beijing Return