Throughout 2025, Novak Djokovic has had to deal with multiple injuries at almost all the tournaments he competed in. From tearing a leg muscle during the Australian Open to a physio assessment following a disastrous fall at Wimbledon, the Serb has had a lot thrown at him. Yet, his indomitable spirit shone through every single time. And now, as the 24x Grand Slam winner blitzes into the fourth round of the 2025 US Open, it looks like Djokovic is even more reluctant to let his troubles bog him down.

Following his victory over Cameron Norrie, Novak made history yet again. With his latest victory, Djokovic now boasts the most hard-court Grand Slam wins in the world, with 192 victories. The man he surpassed? Roger Federer! Maybe that’s why he sounded so peppy in his post-match interview on the court. In an Instagram post by the official US Open account, the reporter could be heard asking Djokovic how he felt after having won three matches in New York with his back injury. The 38-year-old joked, “It’s alright. Had some ups and downs, you don’t wanna reveal too much to the rivals listening and watching this interview,” as he pointed his fingers at the camera, putting his competition on notice.

“I’m good, man. Young as ever, strong as ever. It’s New York, you know. Even if you’re feeling something, body-wise, the energy that you feel in this court just overrides it, you know,” Djokovic went on with his signature smile. And while he did not reveal much about his match fitness, the Serb admitted the concerns about his body in a candid interview with ESPN.

“Well, honestly, I am concerned. You know, nowadays [I am] more concerned than I have ever been,” the four-time US Open champion said. “Even though I really am meticulous with the care for my body, and I put in a lot of hours on and off the court to make sure that my body is fit and recovered well.” Aiming to win his 25th major, Novak also admitted how he has to put extra efforts to keep up with the youngsters.

 “…To keep up with the youngsters, I just have to put an extra, extra hour, extra few hours every day…” Djokovic explained. “The young guys, they come in fresh and I come with a half tank empty in a sense, and so I’m going to try to change that for this tournament. I don’t know if that’s going to be possible.” Well, his dedication to the game at 38 was visible during his third-round win over Cameron Norrie.

Cruising past Norrie, Djokovic became the oldest (38 years old) athlete to reach the Round of 16 of the US Open, the first to do so since Jimmy Connors did it in 1991 at the same age. As if such feats weren’t enough, Novak is also now tied with Roger Federer for the most Grand Slam fourth-round appearances (69) in history. Whew! That’s a lot of new records to set in one Grand Slam event, indeed! And with that, the seasoned ATP star extended his record against the Briton as well.

Djokovic and Norrie have met six times before their latest US Open clash, and the former has won all six of those matches, losing only a couple of sets. However, when he took an off-court medical timeout while being 5-3 up in the first set, the British star looked hopeful. His glee must have only gotten a boost after bagging the first game following his opponent’s return to the court. But despite his bad back, Novak didn’t loiter around for too long and quickly got back in his stride to whip up another emphatic win in New York.

Given his current form, can the veteran star go all the way? What do you think? Keep tabs on Djokovic’s progress at the US Open by following EssentiallySports‘ US Open live blog!