The 39-year-old Serbian, a major favourite among Chinese fans, was pushed hard by the 24-year-old home player during the two-hour, 52-minute contest. Djokovic had entered the match unbeaten in 31 matches in Beijing, according to AFP.
Bu repeatedly moved Djokovic from one side of the baseline to the other and threatened to produce a major upset.
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Djokovic required a medical timeout for his torso after surrendering a break in the second set, but recovered to win a tense tie-break 7-2 and force a deciding set.
The former world No. 1 then raised his level, winning four consecutive games before holding serve and sealing the match with a backhand winner.
“Amazing atmosphere tonight,” Djokovic told the enthusiastic crowd, adding that he “tried to give my all.”
Health problems have overshadowed Djokovic’s 2026 season, with his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title ending in a shock first-round defeat at the US Open after he vomited and suffered cramps on court.
However, he said the feeling of being refreshed during Friday’s deciding set was a welcome change after spending much of his “emotional, mental… and physical” energy dealing with those problems instead of focusing on tennis.
“Finally that I get to play tennis, you know, without really thinking about all the other things happening,” he told reporters in Beijing.
Djokovic will face either top seed Alexander Zverev of Germany or Chinese wildcard Shang Juncheng in the quarter-finals.
Earlier on centre court, Aryna Sabalenka hit 11 aces to beat Renata Zarazua 6-1, 6-3 and begin her China Open title campaign with a convincing victory.
The world No. 2 from Belarus will next meet Czech player Nikola Bartunkova in the round of 32 at the WTA 1000 tournament.
Sabalenka showed frustration over several unforced errors during the 62-minute match but maintained a clear advantage against Mexico’s Zarazua, ranked 94th in the world, and broke serve to close out the match on her second opportunity.
“I was just trying to stay focused on myself. Tried to stay aggressive on my serve, on the return as well,” the 28-year-old said.
“So happy with the game I played today.”
Earlier Friday, Japan’s Naomi Osaka fought back to defeat Uzbekistan’s Maria Timofeeva 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in their second-round match.
The four-time Grand Slam champion will next face Czech player Sara Bejlek.
French Open champion Mirra Andreeva of Russia recovered from losing the opening set to beat Chinese wildcard Yuan Yue 3-6, 6-0, 6-0.
Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, who finished runner-up in Beijing in 2025, defeated Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-4, 6-1.
Andreeva will next face Uzbekistan’s Polina Kudermetova, while Noskova is set to meet Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic in the third round.
In the men’s draw, Russia’s world No. 6 Daniil Medvedev advanced with a 6-4, 6-2 win over qualifier Pablo Carreno Busta, with a series of powerful forehands helping him secure a second-round meeting with Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.
