Novak Djokovic wasn’t at his fluent best as he returned to New York to play his first singles match since the Wimbledon semi-final last month. Djokovic was challenged by the American teenager Learner Tien at least in the second set, but the Serbian was good enough for him in the end.
“It was a strange kind of match. The first set was 20 minutes and then the second one was one hour and 20, so quite the opposite sets we played,” the Serbian tennis legend, Novak Djokovic, said after getting past American teen sensation Learner Tien 6-1, 7-6 (3), 6-2, summing up his first round clash in a nutshell. Djokovic, who had a scratchy start to the clash, broke early, sustained a foot blister later on, and was huffing and puffing as Tien made a remarkable comeback, struggled with his fitness a bit, to ultimately snatched the game rather comfortably in the third set.
It was actually a strange start for Djokovic on Sunday at the Arthur Ashe Stadium as he incurred a time violation, had a heated exchange with the chair umpire moments later and amid all this, he was able to achieve a swift break and take an early lead. The exchange further spurred the Serbian further to finish off the first set rather quickly.
The second set was a rather clumsy and laboured one for Djokovic, who committed as many as 20 unforced errors and Tien utilised his opponent’s mistakes. Djokovic admitted that he isn’t getting any younger and the second set tested him physically. “It was key for me to hold my nerves in the second set and clinch it in a tie-break,” he said of the second set. Djokovic’s ability to always stay in the fight helped him in the second set massively as he attained a two-point lead, recovering from a Tien pushback at the start of the set.
By the third set, Djokovic had found his mojo back. Playing his first singles game since the Wimbledon semi-finals last month, Djokovic was rusty but dusted himself off as took asendance by the first round clash came to an end. The 38-year-old wished he were a bit younger than he is, especially playing against an opponent half his age but mentioned that he will keep going as long as he is enjoying the game.
“This is my 20th US Open. My opponent today is 19 years old—he’s literally half my age, which is incredible. At this stage of my career, it’s really about learning how to preserve energy for what matters. The body doesn’t recover as fast as it used to, so I dedicate as much time as I can to physical recovery while balancing it with mental freshness, motivation, and sharpness on the court
“At times I wish I was younger, but I can only be grateful for the amazing career I’ve had here in New York and worldwide. Hopefully, I can keep it going—I still want to compete, and I hope you’re enjoying my tennis,” Djokovic added. Dojokovic will take on another American, Zachary Svajda, in the second round on Tuesday.