The 2026 China Open in Beijing has reached a fever pitch over an explosive weekend!
The hard-court tournament saw major shake-ups across both draws, headlined by early exits for top women’s seeds Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka, as well as a thrilling ATP quarterfinal clash between Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev!
DJOKOVIC RALLIES PAST TOP-SEEDED ZVEREV
In the men’s draw, 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic proved once again why his Beijing record remains untouchable.
Facing top-seeded Alexander Zverev in a highly anticipated quarterfinal showdown, Djokovic staged a classic comeback to defeat the German 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
After dropping a tight opening set to Zverev’s formidable serve, Djokovic elevated his return game and tightened his defense from the baseline.
Securing crucial breaks in both the second and third sets, Djokovic sealed his victory after nearly two and a half hours on court, extending his legendary unbeaten streak at the China Open.
BARTUNKOVA STUNS SABALENKA IN STRAIGHT SETS
On the women’s side, shockwaves reverberated through the draw in the third round when Czech 26th seed Nikola Bartunkova produced a masterclass performance to dismantle world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 6-3.
The 20-year-old Czech showed remarkable poise against the multi-time Major champion, saving all five break points she faced to claim the biggest win of her career!
RYBAKINA SUFFERS EARLY EXIT
Sabalenka’s elimination came just 24 hours after top seed Elena Rybakina suffered a shock opening-round defeat to 118th-ranked Alina Charaeva, who fought back to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
This marks the first time since 2015 that neither of the top two women’s seeds made it to the round of 16 in Beijing.
HOME FAVORITE ZHENG QINWEN KEEPS CHINESE HOPES ALIVE
With several local players exiting in the opening rounds, all eyes in Beijing are now on Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng.
Playing on home soil with a wild card, Zheng delivered a resilient performance in the second round, advancing to the last 32 after overcoming 15th seed Anna Kalinskaya.
As the highest-profile Chinese player remaining in the singles draw, Zheng carries the electric energy of the Beijing crowd on her shoulders as she aims for a deep run on home court.