Novak Djokovic clinched a fiercely-contested 6-4, 6(4)-7(7), 6-2, 6-3 victory over Cameron Norrie in the third round of the 2025 US Open on Saturday. The Serbian tennis great battled fitness problems throughout the game, including suffering an injury scare, in a match that took two hours and 49 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Djokovic Opens Up About Concerns
Following the match, Djokovic openly told ESPN about his physical struggles: “Well, honestly I am concerned. You know, nowadays [I am] more concerned than I have ever been.”
He confirmed his careful manner of keeping himself fit but agreed that age brings unavoidable setbacks: “Even though I really am careful with the care for my body and I put in a lot of hours on and off the court to ensure that my body is fit and recovers well.”.
“But you know, age is… you can’t fight it. So things are different. I have to obviously change myself the way I approach things training.”
Adjusting Recovery Strategies
Djokovic explained how he modifies his practice and recovery to deal with the demands of Grand Slam competition: “Sometimes I don’t train between matches because with my team when I have this discussion, we think that long term is better and that recovery is more important than hitting some balls in the court.”.
“So perhaps that’s what’s going to happen tomorrow. We have to still talk about that and just concentrate on recovery and prepare for next one.”
He also detailed additional work needed to keep up with performance against younger opponents: “Actually probably even more when I was younger; it’s just in order to keep up with the youngsters I just have to put an extra, extra hour, extra few hours every day.”
“Whether it’s table work, whether it’s recuperation from working on various wellness machines or good sleep, eating, of course all of it, all of it comes into play and all of it counts when you get deeper into the tournament.”.
“The young boys, they come in fresh and I come in half tank empty in a way and so I’m going to try to turn that around for this tournament. I don’t know if that’s going to be a possibility.”.
“No doubt, it’s extremely unpredictable how the body will react. But one thing is certain, I’m always going to give my best last ounce of energy to ensure that I go as deep as I can.”
Looking Ahead at the US Open
In spite of the clear fitness issues, Djokovic is still showing his determination and grit. His openness about age and comeback is a reality of playing against the younger, more energetic players in Grand Slam events. Supporters and pundits will be keenly observing how he takes care of his physical well-being in the remaining rounds as he tries to go deep into the 2025 US Open.
