Breaking News
Djokovic Raises Fitness Concerns Despite Confident US Open Win Over Teenager Tien
Djokovic, 38, defeated the 19-year-old Tien 6-1, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 in 2 hours and 25 minutes under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium. However, the win was not without its complications, as Djokovic required a medical timeout to treat a blister on his right foot between the second and third sets.
Novak Djokovic made a strong start to his quest for a record 25th Grand Slam title at the US Open on Sunday, but the Serbian tennis legend expressed concern over his physical condition following a straight-sets victory over American teenager Learner Tien.
Djokovic, 38, defeated the 19-year-old Tien 6-1, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 in 2 hours and 25 minutes under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium. However, the win was not without its complications, as Djokovic required a medical timeout to treat a blister on his right foot between the second and third sets.
More worryingly, the world No. 2 admitted after the match that he experienced an unexpected dip in energy during the second set.
“I started great — just over 20 minutes, first set, I felt really good,” Djokovic said.
“Then some long games to start the second set… I really was surprised how bad I was feeling in the second physically.”
Djokovic noted that while there were long rallies in the second set, his drop in energy was uncharacteristic and troubling.
“We had long exchanges, but also, I kind of dropped my level and made a lot of unforced errors and kind of got him back into the match.
There are positives but also things that hopefully won’t happen in terms of how I felt on the court physically in the second set.
It’s slightly a concern. I don’t know. I don’t have any injury or anything. I just struggled a lot to stay in long exchanges and recover after points.”
Djokovic has not played a competitive match since his semifinal loss at Wimbledon last month. He opted to skip the Masters 1000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati to conserve energy for the final Grand Slam of the year.
Despite the second-set struggles, Djokovic’s performance still featured flashes of brilliance. He dominated the opening set with powerful baseline play and clever net approaches, taking it in just over 20 minutes. In the second set, Tien showed resilience and had a chance to level the match, holding a break point late in the set. But Djokovic held firm, eventually sealing the tiebreak and regaining control.
After the medical timeout, Djokovic returned with renewed vigor, quickly racing to a 5-1 lead in the third set. Tien managed to delay the outcome briefly by saving a match point and breaking Djokovic’s serve, but the Serbian broke right back to secure victory.
Speaking to the crowd after the match, Djokovic acknowledged the challenges of competing at his age and praised his young opponent.
“I wish I had Learner Tien’s age — when you come to the late 30s it’s about learning how to preserve the energy for what matters,” he said.
“I still have the flair, I still have the drive, and you guys give me the energy. Hopefully I can keep it going.”
Djokovic will next face American qualifier Zachary Svajda in the second round as he continues his pursuit of history in New York.
