Novak Djokovic waves to the crowd as he arrives on court at the US Open. © Twitter (@CristinaNcl)
New York, NY — Novak Djokovic kicked off his bid for a historic 25th Grand Slam singles title with a dominant performance against Moldova’s Radu Albot in the first round of the US Open. The Serbian superstar, aiming to surpass Margaret Court’s record of 24 major titles, secured a straight-sets victory, winning 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Playing in his first match since claiming Olympic gold just 23 days ago, Djokovic looked sharp but had areas to refine. Despite his comfortable victory, he recorded 10 double faults, 40 unforced errors, and a first-serve percentage of just 47%. These statistics underscore the work ahead for Novak Djokovic as he navigates the tournament in pursuit of his fifth US Open title.
The 37-year-old, who described his Olympic triumph in Paris as his “biggest sporting achievement,” is still searching for his first Grand Slam title of the year—a rare occurrence for the man who has won at least one significant title annually since 2017.
Djokovic’s match began familiarly, with the world No. 2 asserting his dominance early. He took the opening set in just 33 minutes, going up a double break before comfortably serving it. However, despite the one-sided scoreline, Djokovic was visibly frustrated throughout the match, often gesturing towards his player’s box, seemingly bothered by the humid conditions in New York.
The four-time US Open champion’s frustration may also be linked to his ongoing recovery from knee surgery in June, as he was seen wearing knee support throughout the match. After briefly losing his serve in the second set, Djokovic quickly regained control, winning the next four games to take the set 6-2.
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Albot, ranked 138th in the world, put up a more substantial fight in the third set, saving five break points before Djokovic finally broke through at 3-3. The match concluded just as the clock struck midnight, with Djokovic wrapping up a 6-4 victory in the final set.
“I love playing night sessions, but maybe not this late,” Djokovic quipped in his on-court interview. “Nevertheless, it was great fun, and I want to thank everyone for staying.”
With this win, Djokovic set a new record for the most victories (78) by a male player on Flushing Meadows’ main showcourt, Arthur Ashe Stadium. Reflecting on the achievement, he remarked, “It’s the biggest stadium. It is the loudest we have in the history of our sport. The night sessions are the best in the world on Arthur Ashe.”
Looking ahead, Djokovic will face fellow Serbian Laslo Djere in the second round on Wednesday. As he continues his quest for an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title, the tennis world will watch closely to see if Djokovic can again etch his name into the history books.
