Tennis great Novak Djokovic claimed the 102nd title of his career at the China Open on Tuesday after his opponent, Alex de Minaur, retired injured from the final. The victory extended the 39-year-old Serbian's perfect Beijing record to 34 wins in as many matches, securing his seventh title at the tournament and his first since 2015.

Djokovic won a physical first set in a 7-6 (7/3) tie-break before trailing a game in the second when the Australian ended the match due to a left adductor strain. World number nine de Minaur, 27, had returned from a medical timeout with his left thigh wrapped in white before apologizing to the crowd.

Attributing his success to his "never-die spirit," Djokovic noted that tennis is a "quite a cruel sport" featuring year-round knock-out tournaments and immense pressure. The 24-time Grand Slam champion previously ousted top seed Alexander Zverev in the quarter-final and Bu Yunchaokete, while Daniil Medvedev was disqualified in the semi-finals for hitting a fan with a ball, and de Minaur advanced after Hubert Hurkacz retired on Monday.

The triumph ensures Djokovic ends the season with at least one title for the 21st consecutive year, making him the oldest man to win a singles final since Ken Rosewall in Hong Kong in 1977 at age 43. In the women's draw, seventh seed Karolina Muchova overcame 50 unforced errors to beat former world number one Naomi Osaka 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (9/7) on her ninth match point to reach the quarter-finals.

Muchova, a 30-year-old Czech player, will next face compatriot Nikola Bartunkova. Earlier, Russia's Mirra Andreeva defeated Ukraine's Daria Snigur 6-2, 6-2 to set up a quarter-final clash against compatriot Ekaterina Alexandrova, who upset the Wimbledon champion.