Novak Djokovic vs Bu Yunchaokete ATP Beijing Tips, Prediction & Live Stream - Another grind for Djokovic

Andrew Hendrie

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Last updated: Fri. 02 Oct. 2026 02:02

Andrew Hendrie 02 Oct. 2026

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Novak Djokovic vs Bu Yunchaokete predictions for Friday's ATP Beijing R2
Djokovic is 30-0 in Beijing, but still dealing with physical problems
Bu has two top 20 scalps in Beijing, can pose a threat but unlikely to pull off upset
The match is scheduled to start around 10.30pm AEST on Friday October 2

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Novak Djokovic vs Bu Yunchaokete ATP Beijing Tips, Prediction & Live Stream

Novak Djokovic has a 30-0 record in Beijing and 153-15 record vs players outside the top 100, but this promises to be another tough match for the Serbian as he continues to struggle with physical problems.

Novak Djokovic vs Bu Yunchaokete ATP Beijing Tips, Prediction & Live Stream
Djokovic vs Bu Stats & Trends
Djokovic vs Bu Head To Head
Novak Djokovic Form Analysis
Bu Yunchaokete Form Analysis
Djokovic vs Bu Live Stream

Djokovic struggled considerably during the North American hardcourt summer, suffering defeats to the likes of Mariano Navone and Thiago Agustin Tirante, where he was in visible distress physically.

The 39-year-old managed to return to the winners circle in his first round at the China Open, but still required a medical timeout in the second set as he eventually overcame Nuno Borges.

Now, Djokovic faces a man who always lifts in front of his home crowd, with two of Bu Yunchaokete's three top 20 victories coming in Beijing.

Bu also crushed Rafael Jodar in straight sets recently at the US Open, so the Chinese player is clearly playing with lots of confidence at the moment.

But will that be enough against Djokovic? It could be if the Serbian's physical problems continue. But I also saw enough from Djokovic in the win over Borges that he could grind out another tough win here.

He's the GOAT for a reason, so I'll take Djokovic to win with Over 19.5 total games as the main play for this one.

Djokovic vs Bu Stats & Trends

Djokovic has won all 30 of his Beijing matches
All six of Djokovic's best-of-three matches this season have seen Over 19.5 games
Djokovic has won 153 of his 168 career matches vs 100+ ranked players
Bu has a 3-10 record vs top 20 players, but two have come in Beijing
Bu has lost eight of his last 10 second round matches

Djokovic vs Bu Head To Head

This will be the first career meeting between the pair.

Novak Djokovic Form Analysis

2026 ATP Record: 15-7
ATP Beijing Record: 30-0
Current Ranking: No. 11
Career-High Ranking: No. 1 (2011)

Djokovic started the year with a bang by beating Jannik Sinner to make the Australian Open final, where he was eventually outlasted by Carlos Alcaraz.

However, the remainder of the season has been a bit of a battle, with Djokovic losing to Jack Draper at Indian Wells, Dino Prizmic in Rome and Joao Fonseca in the third round of Roland Garros.

A semi-final run at Wimbledon was encouraging, but Djokovic suffered from some serious physical struggles in the USA, falling to Tirante in Cincinnati and Navone in the first round of the US Open.

It doesn't look like Djokovic is fully recovered from whatever is troubling him - although he started strong against Borges in his opening round in Beijing, the 39-year-old still took a medical timeout in the second set before closing out a 6-3 7-6(2) victory, earning his 30th match win at the China Open.

Bu Yunchaokete Form Analysis

2026 ATP Record: 4-4
ATP Beijing Record: 4-2
Current Ranking: No. 104
Career-High Ranking: No. 64 (2025)

Bu has battled some injury problems over the last 12 months, but he looks back to full fitness and ready to capitalise on another Asian swing.

The 24-year-old has already broke back into the top 100 in the live rankings after a fruitful last month or so, which has seen him qualify for the US Open and make the second round, crushing Jodar for the loss of just four games.

Bu backed it up with a quarter-final appearance in Hangzhou last week and opened his account in Beijing with a 6-2 5-7 6-4 victory over Juan Manuel Cerundolo.

This has been a strong tournament for Bu in his limited appearances - he made the semi-finals in 2024, beating Andrey Rublev and Lorenzo Musetti before going down to Sinner.