ATP Tour

Djokovic following Beijing triumph: 'I can still play at the highest level'

Novak Djokovic notched his record-extending seventh China Open trophy Tuesday after Alex de Minaur retired at the beginning of the second set of the championship match in Beijing. Following his victory, the 39-year-old reflected on what the title meant for him.

"I'm very proud of the achievement here," Djokovic said after extending his perfect record at the ATP 500 event to 34-0 with the triumph. "It came at the best possible time as a confidence booster and as proof that I can still play at the highest level.

"Winning against three Top-10 players back to back in three days is a great achievement. I'm obviously filled with joy."

The Serbian was competing in Beijing for the first time since 2015, and earned wins against Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev and De Minaur en route to clinching the trophy. The title triumph comes for the 39-year-old in a season that has been anything but straightforward.

A former No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, Djokovic opened his season with a run to the Australian Open final, then competed at just three more events before making the Wimbledon semi-final. The 24-time major champion subsequently fell in his opening matches in Cincinnati and at the US Open, before finding his form in the Chinese capital and capturing his 102nd tour-level title.

"Beijing was always my happy place. It continues to be," Djokovic shared. "I always have high expectations for myself. The goals and desires are always high, particularly in a place where I never lost before. I hadn’t been here for 11 years. I had a year filled with struggle and challenges, not many great results after the finals of the Australian Open.

"I didn't know how I'm going to feel because the American swing was terrible in terms of feeling on the court, health-wise and physically. In some of the matches here, I did struggle. But I managed to kind of push through and really dig deep, and turned some matches around."

The Serbian also took a moment to thank the Chinese fans for the unwavering support they have shown him throughout the years, admitting that their support made his return to Beijing all the more special.

"This country has always given me lots of support," Djokovic said. "This year has been tremendous. I haven't been here in a very long time, so I didn't know what to expect. I felt it's going to be a positive energy and interaction.

"I did not expect the stadium to be full for every single match from the first round and people to be so joyful and passionate about it… I try to always remind myself how special that is, how privileged I am. That also explains why I play well in China and why I feel good."