Alex de Minaur was forced to retire through injury midway through the China Open final against Novak Djokovic, and then issued an emotional apology to the crowd in Beijing.
Injury forces early end in Beijing
De Minaur lost the first set on a tie break and went on to win the opening game of the second set. Djokovic claimed a 7-6 win in the first set, before De Minaur headed off the court to receive treatment.
He returned to serve in the first game of the second set, which the Australian managed to win. However, De Minaur was unable to continue any further and approached the net to concede defeat to Djokovic.
Emotional apology to fans and team
Speaking after the match, De Minaur said: "I don't feel great. Look, first of all, congrats to you [Djokovic] mate, your team, it was pretty amazing as a fan of the sport to watch the tennis you produced this whole week. I wish you nothing but the best.
"As for me, I want to say sorry to all the amazing fans that came to watch this match. I wish I could have done... I'm really, really sorry.
"To my team, the people that are here and the people back home, thank you for all the support.
"It's been a great week and I'm sure there's plenty more to come. To everyone who made this amazing tournament possible, would love to come back so thank you all and hopefully see you next year."
Djokovic claims China Open title
The retirement handed Djokovic the China Open title, adding to his victory in the first set. De Minaur's defeat ends a week in which he reached the final in Beijing before being unable to complete the match.
