Novak Djokovic returned to the tennis courts at the 2025 US Open with a hard-fought victory over American teenager Learner Tien. This was the Serb’s first official match in six weeks following his loss to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semifinals. He withdrew from the Canadian and Cincinnati Opens to rest and train for the upcoming major. He won the match in three sets, but not without raising concerns about his physical condition.
What Did Novak Djokovic Say After the Match?
During his post-match press conference, Djokovic was asked whether he was expecting to get hurt a little bit in the match or was confident that he would get right back the way it always was. His response was honest and revealing.
“I started great. Just over 20 minutes first set, I felt really good,” Djokovic admitted. “Then some long games to start a second set, and I start to feel really, I don’t know why, I really was surprised how bad I was feeling in the second physically,” he added.
The Serbian continued, “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.” He expressed relief about recovering after the difficult second set, saying, “I’m glad that I kind of reset myself after the second set, and the third one was okay to finish up the match.”
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With an optimistic eye, Djokovic said, “They’re positives but also things that hopefully won’t happen in terms of like, how I feel on the court physically, the way I felt in the second set. Hopefully that doesn’t happen because then it will definitely make my life on the court much more challenging. It’s a good thing – two days off now.”
Finally, he admitted honestly, “It’s slightly a concern, I don’t have any injury or anything, I just struggled a lot to stay in long exchanges and to recover after a point.”
These words from the GOAT are concerning, as this was just the first match of what can be a long season for him if he continues to win. Earlier this year, he was forced to retire from the semifinals of the Australian Open against Alexander Zverev due to a muscle tear. Even during his Wimbledon quarterfinal match, he fell awkwardly while returning a shot to Flavio Cobolli, which hampered his semifinal performance.
Djokovic’s Struggles During the Match and Medical Timeout
The match told two different stories across its sets. Djokovic dominated the opening set in just 24 minutes, but the second set became a grueling 82-minute battle. During this period, the four-time US Open champion was seen with his hands on his knees multiple times and appeared to struggle with his breathing.
Djokovic required a medical timeout between the second and third sets to treat a blister on his right big toe. The physio was called to tape his foot, though Djokovic clarified this wasn’t the main source of his physical difficulties.
Back under Ashe lights. First time Sunday start for me 🙌. Crowd electric and loud as always. New York, you never disappoint. Thank you for the support. Idemo pic.twitter.com/pDG0fpthgO
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) August 25, 2025
The match showcased Djokovic’s legendary resilience as he fought back from early trouble in the third set. After losing his serve in the opening game, he won five straight games to seal the victory. This triumph made him the first player in the Open Era to win 75 consecutive first-round matches at Grand Slams, with 55 of those victories coming in straight sets.
Looking ahead, Djokovic will face another American, 22-year-old Zachary Svajda, in the second round on Wednesday.
