Djokovic Wins First Match Since Wimbledon At China Open

Novak Djokovic won his first match since reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals in July, beating Nuno Borges 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) at the China Open.

The 39-year-old former world number one maintained his remarkable unbeaten record at the tournament, securing his 30th consecutive victory in Beijing in his first appearance there since 2015. It was also his first match at the event in 11 years.

Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, struggled at times in the second set and was far from his best against the Portuguese player. He revealed in August that he has been dealing with an underlying health condition that causes particular issues in hot, humid conditions for “the past couple of years.”

During the second set, he used his racquet to help stretch his back between games and required a medical timeout to receive treatment on his right shoulder. Despite those issues, he battled to victory in one hour and 50 minutes.

The win sets up a second-round match against Chinese wildcard Bu Yunchaokete. Djokovic is bidding to win the China Open for a record-extending seventh time.

In the women’s draw, Great Britain’s Katie Boulter advanced to the second round with a straight-set victory over Mai Hontama of Japan. Boulter, 30, won 6-3, 6-4 and will next face Czech seventh seed Karolina Muchova.