In his third round match at the US Open, Novak Djokovic started to look more like his usual self for the first time this tournament.
After not playing a competitive singles match since Wimbledon, he faced Cameron Nolly, winning 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-3 in nearly three hours. This marked a solid opening for him in the final Grand Slam of the year.
Still, there were some notable hiccups from the 24-time Grand Slam champion that could have been problematic against tougher opponents.
“My team wants me to suffer on the court so I can spend a few more minutes playing games,” Djokovic said during a broadcast after his win. “It’s good that I was tested; I haven’t played since Wimbledon… I’m still working on finding my groove. I think this was the best I’ve played in this tournament so far.”
Things got tense during the first set, with Djokovic seeming at one point like he might retire early from the match at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
He experienced a challenging streak of eight straight games under the night lights. But, after breaking Nolly in the seventh game and winning by serving four aces for a lead of 5-3, Djokovic appeared to struggle, rubbing his back and stretching as he frowned.
During the ninth game, he called for a trainer, and after a medical timeout, the crowd began to murmur in concern.
Djokovic managed to take the first set 6-4, but he seemed to be battling against some frustration, particularly while chasing drop shots. He appeared to have some difficulties during the break in the second set when the trainer returned to help with his back.
By the end, he was laughing, saying, “It’s fine.” He acknowledged the ups and downs, stating, “I don’t want to give away too much to my opponents. I’m as young and strong as ever.”
Nonetheless, Djokovic still had five double faults that set, along with some tiebreaks that spurred moments of frustration directed at his team.
Despite these issues, he regained his serve with Nolly leading 6-4 in a tiebreak but ended up losing that set, showing signs of disappointment as he looked back at his bench, shaking his head.
“I did some double faults,” he remarked. “Overall, I think this was my best serving performance in the tournament.”
In the final two sets, Djokovic, at 38, managed to pull ahead successfully against Nolly.
He finished the evening with 18 aces, matching his best performance at the US Open.
Next up, Djokovic will face qualifier Jan Leonard Struff in the fourth round, as Struff shocked everyone by defeating Francis Tiafoe on Friday night.
