Novak Djokovic battled hard but eventually defeated American qualifier Zachary Svajda 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 on Wednesday and remained unbeaten through his first two rounds at the US Open. The 38-year-old was physically cumbersome in the initial stages, as was the case during his first-round outing, but found his stride after losing 3-1 in the third set.
The No. 7 seed then reeled off eight in a row to take an opening 3-0 advantage in the fourth set and closed the match in a mere 26 minutes, after the marathon first set took one hour. Djokovic, with a men's-record 24 Grand Slam crowns, including four at Flushing Meadows, now advanced to the third round in all 19 of his US Open appearances.
British No. 5 seed Jack Draper, who was a semifinalist at the 2024 US Open, withdrew from the event Wednesday due to an injury. He was scheduled to meet Zizou Bergs in the second round, who advances by walkover.
Draper hadn't competed since his second-round Wimbledon loss and had been suffering with a troublesome bone bruise to the left upper arm, which was impacting his serve and forehand. Having beaten Argentine qualifier Federico Agustin Gomez in the first round, Draper conceded that the pain had become too excruciating to carry on.
"I did my best to make it here and provide myself with every opportunity to play, but the pain in my arm has gotten (too) severe, and I need to do the right thing and take care of myself," Draper wrote on social media.
The 22-year-old had progressed at least as far as the third round in all three of his previous US Open showings and had become the first man since Daniil Medvedev in 2020 to advance to the semifinals without losing a set, prior to losing to eventual winner Jannik Sinner a year ago.
Emma Raducanu was back to her best at Flushing Meadows, reaching the third round for the first time since winning the title here in 2021. The 22-year-old Brit overcame Indonesia's Janice Tjen 6-2, 6-1 inside an hour.
Raducanu's serve was the clincher, serving eight aces while allowing a mere 13 points against her. In the third game, she encountered three break points but successfully salvaged all of them, continuing her charge. Raducanu hit 16 winners while targeting Tjen's backhand from the baseline, forcing errors in the process.
Tjen, the No. 149 player, was having a breakout year with a 101-13 record and a first-round upset of 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova but saw her incredible run stop short against the former US Open champion.
With Djokovic, Raducanu, and other top seeds moving forward, the 2025 US Open continues to provide high-stakes tennis and compelling storylines for fans everywhere.
