BEIJING, Oct 7 — Tennis great Novak Djokovic credited his “never-die spirit” for carrying him to the 102nd title of his career as he won the China Open yesterday when his opponent Alex de Minaur retired injured from the final.
With the win, the 39-year-old Serbian extended a perfect record to 34 wins in as many matches for his seventh title in Beijing -- his first since 2015.
Djokovic said afterwards that in more than two decades as a professional player, “the grit and the dedication and the kind of never-die spirit that really is always with me” have carried him through.
Tennis is “quite a cruel sport” with players competing in knock-out tournaments year-round, Djokovic told reporters, adding that the stakes and pressure of performing in front of fans made the sport “so demanding and so special”.
