On Friday night, when Novak Djokovic stood across the net from 24-year-old Chinese wildcard Bu Yunchaokete, the spectators in Beijing were quick to switch their allegiance from their home favorite to the player who has never lost in front of them. Roughly 15,000 fans at Beijing’s National Tennis Center were behind the Serbian, pushing him across the line and ensuring that his perfect record on Chinese soil remains intact. 

Bu came closer than anyone ever has to changing that. He took the first set 6-4, which ended Djokovic’s run of 29 straight sets won in Beijing, and he pushed the 39-year-old to nearly three hours before falling 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-2. Asked afterward whether it hurt to hear his own supporters back his opponent, the world No. 104 was remarkably gracious.

“Of course he has committed so much to this industry, he has done so much for this industry, put tennis on a higher level. The number of Grand Slams he has won, he is number one in history. Of course he deserves respect,” Bu said. He noted that the noise never shook him, being mentally prepared and convinced the recognition was rightfully earned. The 24-year-old had no complaints about the crowd, while he made it tough for the crowd’s favorite to get over the line. 

Djokovic needed a medical timeout for an issue around his rib area for the second time in three days, allowing the break to slip in the second set, which he then covered up in the tie-break. The sixth seed then surged into the game, running to a 4-0 lead in the decider, converting the third match point with a cross-court backhand. He hit 15 aces without a single double fault and won 107 points to Bu’s 90. The Chinese player was left drained by the effort and said so openly. 

“I am shocked by him. This is a 40-year-old man I’m facing,” he said, rounding up Djokovic’s age. “In more than two hours, there’s no decline in his energy. I’m a 24-year-old, but I’m exhausted. My level dropped, but he was just starting.” 

The defeat still brings some reward for the Chinese wildcard, whose run to the second round will lift him back inside the top 100.

The love Djokovic waited years to feel

The win moved Djokovic to 31-0 in Beijing, equaling Rafael Nadal’s 31-0 start at Roland Garros as the longest unbeaten run from a tournament debut in the men’s Open Era. Nadal’s streak ended when Robin Soderling beat him in 2009. 

Considering both tours, the record belongs to Monica Seles. She won her first 33 matches at the Australian Open, earning her four titles before Martina Hingis defeated her in the 1999 semifinals. A victory over Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals would push Djokovic past Nadal and leave him one win short of Seles.

The reception of Friday night is also important for a player who has spent two decades of his career as an ‘anti-hero’. Djokovic was usually looked at as an outsider during the era of the ‘Big Three’ as he broke the beloved duopoly of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The crowd usually sided against him whenever he played against one of the players. Later in his career, he realized it was more a reflection of love for those two players rather than anything he had done wrong. 

With both the players retired and Djokovic carrying the legacy on his shoulders among the next generation, he truly deserved the recognition he got from the Chinese crowd against a Chinese player. 

Djokovic is up against the top seed, Zverev, in the quarterfinal – a serious test of whether his body can keep up with his reputation. The Serbian leads their head-to-head 9-5, but he has needed treatment in consecutive rounds and has just played a draining three-setter. The latest meeting came at the 2025 French Open quarterfinal, where Djokovic bagged the match in four sets. 

After that, Zverev has won two Grand Slams and is now chasing the year-end No. 1 ranking for the first time in his career. It is going to be a closer match than history suggests. Will the crowd continue to shower love for their greatest champion against the top seed as well?