Tennis great Novak Djokovic credited his "never-die spirit” for carrying him to the 102nd title of his career Tuesday after Alex de Minaur retired injured during their China Open final.
The victory extended Djokovic’s perfect record in Beijing to 34-0 and secured his seventh China Open title, his first at the tournament since 2015.
The 39-year-old Serbian said his success over more than two decades at the top of professional tennis has been built on his "grit and dedication” and the relentless mentality that has kept him fighting through difficult moments.
"The kind of never-die spirit that really is always with me” has been a defining part of his career, Djokovic said after the match.
He also described tennis as a "quite cruel sport,” with players facing elimination in knockout tournaments throughout the year while carrying the pressure of performing in front of demanding crowds.
That combination of high stakes and constant competition, Djokovic said, makes tennis "so demanding and so special.”
"You can feel so much weight on your shoulders, but it is what I have been destined to do,” he said.
In front of a packed stadium, Djokovic won the first set in a tiebreaker 7-6 (7-3) and was down a game in the second set when the Australian ended the match early.
"I always want to visualize myself with the trophy, particularly here in Beijing,” Djokovic said during the trophy ceremony.
"But I was also quite aware that reality is a little bit different these days,” he said, adding that it had been a challenging year with "physical and health issues.”
"I was just trying to find the good feeling on the court,” he said.
The first set was a physical battle that lasted more than an hour, and both men needed medical timeouts before the second.
De Minaur, the No. 9 player in the world, won the first game of the second set before retiring because of a left adductor strain.
The 27-year-old returned to the court after his medical timeout with a white wrap around his left thigh.
"I don’t feel great,” de Minaur told the crowd afterward.
"I want to say sorry to the amazing fans that came to watch ... I didn’t want to finish like this.”
De Minaur advanced to the final after his opponent, Hubert Hurkacz, retired injured from their semifinal Monday, while Djokovic advanced when Daniil Medvedev was disqualified for hitting a fan with a ball.
But Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, put on a valiant show to lift the trophy, ousting top seed Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals after defeating home hope Bu Yunchaokete in a demanding three-set match.
The victory means Djokovic will end the season with at least one title for the 21st consecutive year and become the oldest man to win a singles final since Ken Rosewall in Hong Kong in 1977 at age 43.
'Really grateful'
In the women’s draw, Karolina Muchova beat former No. 1 Naomi Osaka on her ninth match point to reach the quarterfinals, prevailing in a tense tiebreaker.
Muchova, the No. 7 seed, overcame 50 unforced errors across the two-hour, 52-minute match to beat Osaka 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (9-7).
Osaka, who represents Japan, saved eight match points but could not get past Muchova’s match-winning volley.
"I was shaking. I’m happy I made the last volley ... Naomi could be standing here. It’s me, and I’m really grateful for it,” the 30-year-old Czech player told the crowd.
She next faces compatriot Nikola Bartunkova.
Earlier, Russia’s Mirra Andreeva beat Ukraine’s Daria Snigur 6-2, 6-2 to book her quarterfinal spot against fellow Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Alexandrova, ranked No. 28, upset Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova 6-2, 6-2, ending the Czech player’s bid to return to the Beijing final that she reached last year.