On 30 September, Novak Djokovic defeated Nuno Borges 6-3, 7-6 (2) in the first round of the men’s singles at the 2026 China Open. The tournament’s official website confirmed that he will face China’s Bu Yunchaokete in the second round. Djokovic advanced in straight sets, while Bu secured his place after a three-set match.
Djokovic’s opener: an early break, followed by a second-set tie-break
This was Djokovic’s first return to the China Open since 2015. The match report published on his official website on 30 September said the contest lasted 1 hour 50 minutes, marking his return from roughly a month away from competition and extending his career China Open record to 30-0.
In the first set, Djokovic broke in the second game, winning his opponent’s service game, and then held his own serve to lead 3-0. Borges earned two break points in the seventh game, but Djokovic saved both and went on to take the set 6-3.
Neither player had a break point in the first eight games of the second set. Djokovic created an opportunity in the ninth but could not convert it, then held serve. The set went to a tie-break, which he won 7-2. His official website also described his serving as solid throughout, while crediting Borges with stubborn resistance in the baseline exchanges.
Bu advances in three sets; second round scheduled for 2 October
The China Open’s official report on Bu’s first-round match confirmed that he beat J. Cerúndolo 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, advancing by two sets to one.
Djokovic’s official website scheduled the second-round match for Friday, 2 October. The precise court assignment and start time remain subject to the China Open’s order of play for that day. The two players’ opening-round results are shown below, with each set score listed from the winner’s perspective. The brackets in 7-6 (2) indicate that the opponent scored two points in the tie-break.
| Winner | Opponent | First set | Second set | Third set | Sets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Novak Djokovic | Nuno Borges | 6-3 | 7-6 (2) | Not played | 2-0 |
| Bu Yunchaokete | J. Cerúndolo | 6-2 | 5-7 | 6-4 | 2-1 |
INKA SPORTS analysis: protecting the first-set lead, then pulling clear in the tie-break
Saving two break points in game seven preserved the early advantage
Breaking in the second game gave Djokovic an early lead in the first set; the seventh game offered Borges a chance to recover it. With two break points, his opponent needed to win either point to take Djokovic’s service game. Djokovic saved both, preserving the advantage established by his early break before closing out the set 6-3. The decisive sequence was not only the opening 3-0 lead: holding serve in the seventh game was equally important in maintaining it.
With no separation in the regular games, the outcome moved to a tie-break
In the second set, Djokovic struggled to gain an advantage on return. Neither player had a break point in the first eight games; he had a chance in the ninth but could not take his opponent’s serve. Borges’s resistance from the baseline was also explicitly noted on Djokovic’s website. Djokovic then held serve to remain in contention for the set, finally pulling clear 7-2 in the tie-break. Whereas the first set involved breaking early and then protecting the lead, the second was won by continuing to hold serve and putting together points in the tie-break.
Conclusion
Djokovic’s straight-sets win involved two different forms of pressure: saving break points to protect a first-set lead, then continuing to hold serve after unsuccessful return games before taking control of the tie-break. Bu’s first-round challenge came after losing the second set to level the match; he secured his place by winning the decider. Their second-round meeting follows opening matches that demonstrated protecting an advantage, handling a tight contest and finding a way to win after dropping a set.
