As Father Time ticks away, 39-year-old Novak Djokovic enjoyed yet another sweet return to the China Open
Djokovic won his seventh China Open crown.
Beijing, China (CNN) — For a couple of minutes, the Diamond Court was full of whispers.
After some intense rallies at the beginning of the second set, Novak Djokovic and Alex de Minaur were suddenly shaking hands at the net. Chinese fans – most of whom had been rooting for Djokovic throughout the match – were trying to figure out what had happened.
Among them was Stan Huang, who had traveled all the way from northeastern China to Beijing just to see his favorite player. He desperately checked his phone for an update.
It turned out that de Minaur was unable to continue because of a left adductor strain. The Australian world No. 9 had to retire from the China Open final just after taking the opening game of the second set, with Djokovic leading 7-6(3), 0-1.
That meant that, after an 11-year absence from the China Open, Djokovic claimed his seventh title at the Beijing tournament – a sort of home away from home for the 24-time grand slam singles champion.
For Huang and the thousands of fans in the stands, the unexpected ending was followed by wild excitement.
“I’ve been supporting Djokovic for nearly 20 years, and this is the first time I’ve watch him play in person,” the die-hard fan told CNN Sports. “I am so happy to see him win the title. It has made my dream come true.”
It had not been an easy season for the Serbian, including a loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open final and an early exit at the US Open.
Djokovic had seen and conquered all in his tennis career, enough for many to call him the greatest men’s player of all time, but the last few seasons had shown that even he could not beat Father Time.
While he was still near the top of the men’s game, age had taken away that one or two percent extra he had to be able to grind out victories over the elite of the men’s game, particularly Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. So while he consistently neared the finish line in front in grand slams, he would fall agonizingly short in his quest for a record-breaking 25th major title.
Yet Djokovic is still good enough to compete with – and on occasion beat – the very best. Victory in Beijing gave him a tour-level trophy for the 21st consecutive season, an Open Era men’s record. Djokovic’s tour-level title tally now sits at 102, just one behind Roger Federer’s record.
The Serbian superstar also extended his perfect record at China Open to 34-0, after beating Nuno Borges, Bu Yunchaokete, Alexander Zverev – the current world No. 2, who is having a breakout year – and Daniil Medvedev, who was defaulted in the semis for hitting a spectator with a ball.
“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 me being here, playing in front of them,” Djokovic told reporters in the Chinese capital after the win.
“People make me feel like I’m Chinese, like I’m playing at home.”
Home crowds
At the China Open final, it was apparent that fans were eager to see their adopted hero as he nears the end of his illustrious career. The stands erupted after almost every point Djokovic won and shouts of “Xiaode Jiayou!” could be heard throughout the match (Xiaode means “young Djokovic” and has been his Chinese nickname since early in his career; Jiayou means “keep going”).
And it was also obvious that the 24-time grand slam champion loves them back. During the trophy ceremony, Djokovic responded by greeting the crowd in Mandarin: “How are you? Thank you for your support.”
Djokovic’s matches were among the biggest draws at this year’s China Open. Each of his last three matches attracted more than 13,000 attendees, enough to fill roughly 99% of the Diamond Court’s capacity.
The love from Chinese fans extended well beyond the court. They tracked his schedule, waiting to catch him at training or as he left the venue, hoping for a selfie, an autograph or just a glimpse of him from a distance. Some even waited outside Djokovic’s hotel for hours after his late-night matches.
Huang’s enthusiasm was just as strong. He told CNN Sports that he arrived in Beijing last Saturday afternoon and headed straight to the stadium from the train station for Djokovic’s quarterfinal against Zverev. Then, he went on to watch one of Djokovic’s training sessions, as well as the tennis superstar’s final two matches.
For him, seeing Djokovic win the title at 39 was an inspiration.
“He is still chasing his dream. We should also keep our persistence and follow his spirit,” said Huang, who is only two years younger than the Serbian.
Huanhuan Li and her friends made up a group of seven who traveled from southwestern China to see Djokovic.
“We have all been his fans for many years, and this trip is entirely about him,” Li told CNN Sports in the stands after the final. “I hope he can come back again.”
However, the crowd was readily aware of that dreaded old thing Djokovic had come to known: time. Eleven years ago, Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal in the China Open final at the same stadium. Now, both Nadal and Federer – the other two of the tennis’s legendary Big Three – have retired.
At his post-match press conference, last-man-standing Djokovic admitted he was not yet sure whether he would return to Beijing next year.
“I am not making plans so much ahead right now. I’m kind of more really following of how I’m feeling, how good I’m playing, how quickly I’m able to recover.”
“It’s not as set in stone as it was for 20 years.”
The-CNN-Wire
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