All eyes are on Novak Djokovic at the US Open! The Serb is looking to mark his 25th Grand Slam milestone after taking time off since his semifinal Wimbledon loss. And now, he’s making strides in New York! Following a straight-set victory in his opening round against Learner Tien, Nole just delivered yet another victory to make it to the R3. However, it was no walk in the park for him, and he’s honest about it!

Taking on American qualifier Zachary Svajda, the 24-time slam champion struggled initially to find his rhythm, costing him the first set. However, he pulled through to pull off a 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 victory into the next round. While he claimed a new milestone of reaching the R3 for the 75th time, overtaking Roger Federer’s record of 74 at the US Open!

However, Djokovic admitted he was bothered by that opening set. In his post-match interview, when asked about his form, he said, “Not that great, to be honest. I wasn’t really happy with my tennis for the first part of the match, but also credit to Zach for playing some really high-quality tennis.” It’s true, the American qualifier shone on the court, pushing Djokovic from the start.

Novak Djokovic stumbled early, committing 14 unforced errors in a low-quality first set and then found himself 1-3 behind in the third set. But the 38-year-old turned up his intensity as Svajda battled a leg issue that slowed his serve to below 90 mph in the later sets. Nole capitalized on Svajda’s physical drop-off, dominating the final stages to secure the win. But he couldn’t help feel for his opponent.

“Unfortunate that he obviously struggled with injury towards the end of the second (set), but kudos to him for staying on the court. It was obvious he couldn’t serve as well as he did for a set and a half. I wished him all the best at the net, I think he’s playing really well,” he empathized with Svajda, making the moment a good display of sportsmanship.

However, on the other hand, Nole has fared well at Slams this season. While Masters and 500s hadn’t been positive for him, he still won his 100th ATP Tour title at Geneva ahead of Roland Garros this year. At the Australian Open, he reached the semifinals at Melbourne, Paris, and London. Two of those matches he lost to the World No. 1, and at Melbourne, he was forced to retire after the first set due to his hamstring injury.

New York presents a fresh chapter for the 38-year-old. While he may have lost a set to a qualifier, he’s also looking at the bright side of what he brought to the court today.

Novak Djokovic gets real about his mindset on the court

In his press conference, he admitted, “There is always something to prove every time you step on the court, demonstrating that you can still win a tennis match. It’s a matter of perspective, an exercise in understanding all that I have won and achieved over these years on the tour.” Classic Nole—still reflective, still hungry.

And let’s be real: his resume is beyond insane. Since his debut in 2003, the GOAT has stacked up 24 Grand Slam singles titles—10 Australian Opens, 7 Wimbledons, 4 US Opens, and 3 French Opens. He’s the only man in the Open Era to claim all four majors at least three times, and he hit the Career Golden Slam with Olympic gold in Paris 2024. Add in 428 weeks as world No. 1, a record eight year-end No. 1 finishes, 40 Masters 1000 trophies, and a cool 100 ATP Tour singles titles. Oh, and don’t forget 37 Slam final appearances and that legendary “Nole Slam” where he held all four majors at once.

With that list, most players would happily close the chapter. But Novak Djokovic isn’t wired that way. As he reminded everyone, “Many may think that there is nothing left to achieve because you have already done it all, but that’s relative. It’s a very personal thing, a kind of short-term mentality, it’s about getting the most out of each day and winning your match, finding a way to win.” Still chasing, still fighting—it’s what keeps him ticking.

Now he rolls into Round 3, eyes locked on either Jakub Mensik, who stunned him in Miami this year, or France’s Ugo Blanchet. The big question? Can Djokovic build on his momentum, sharpen up after that first-set slip, and push deeper into another run for glory? Only time will tell, but don’t miss out on any of the action with our 2025 US Open Live Blog!