Day 5 Preview: Djokovic and Zverev clash in a blockbuster

On Day 5 at the China Open on Sunday, Novak Djokovic will face his toughest test in keeping his unbeaten streak in Beijing alive, matching up with No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev in the men’s quarterfinals.

Djokovic beat Chinese sensation Bu Yunchaokete in a very tight three-set second-round match, moving to 31-0 at the China Open, the most wins of any player at a single event without recording a loss since Rafael Nadal’s 31-0 start at Roland Garros.

For Djokovic it’s his seventh time in the quarters and on top of that, at 39 years and four months, he’s the oldest 500 tournament level quarterfinalist since the series began in 2009.

“I’ve gotten so much support (here), and couldn’t be more blessed for that,” Djokovic said. “Can’t wait to be in front of them in a few days’ time.” 

Alexander Zverev, this year’s Roland Garros and US Open champion, moved past another home favorite, beating Chinese player Shang Juncheng in two sets.

Zverev continues the best year of his career, winning two Grand Slams, and continues to narrow the gap between himself a Jannik Sinner’s World No. 1 ranking. 

Zverev had a bit of tongue-in-cheek fun at Djokovic’s expense, a.k.a. the G.O.A.T, when asked about the idea of changing Grand Slams to best-of-three sets.

“I don’t know a single player that would like to play best-of-three sets,” Zverev said. “Maybe Novak because he’s getting a bit older.” 

Djokovic leads the head-to-head against Zverev 9-5, defeating the German in their most recent matchup in the 2025 French Open quarterfinals.

Aryna Sabalenka will also make an appearance Sunday for her second-round matchup against Nikola Bartunkova, one of four Czech woman that will play a singles matches the same day. Sabalenka won the only match between the pair, defeating Bartunkova in a tight three-set match on grass earlier this year in Berlin. 

Naomi Osaka will face yet another Czech in 21-year-old Sara Bejlek. Bejlek made headlines in Cincinnati, beating three Slam champions — including Aryna Sabalenka — on her way to a surprise semifinal. This will be the first encounter between the two. 

“I remember seeing her name around (and) thinking ‘Wow, it’s cool that there’s young good players coming up,’” Osaka said. “She was added to my mental list of that.” 

The top-seeded Czech and Wimbledon champion, Linda Noskova, will play Swiss 33-year-old Viktorija Golubic. Noskova defeated Golubic in a Billie Jean King Cup qualifying match in April this year. The win helped Czechia get a 3-2 victory over Switzerland, moving onto the finals that took place last week and winning a 12th title.  

U.S. Open semifinalist Karen Khachanov remains in good form, set to face former No. 6 Hubert Hurkacz. Hurkacz  slipped in the rankings after a knee injury forced him to  undergo surgery in mid-2025, which resulted in him missing the remainder of the season. 

Hurkacz has returned to good form as of late, making the Chengdu final last week and winning a competitive Challenger event in Cancun in late August.