by Novak Djokovic’s quest for a historic 25th Grand Slam title is on.
Novak Djokovic won his opening match at the US Open on Monday night, beating Radu Albot of Moldova in three sets at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4. It was his 71st consecutive first-round victory at a major tournament, and he is 18-0 in the first round of the US Open in his career.
Djokovic, who won the US Open last year, picked up where he left off after his gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, which he declared the greatest achievement of his career and officially completed the Golden Slam. Djokovic won four straight games to close out his first set, then did the same in the second to finish that set without any trouble.
Although it wasn’t quite as quick – Albor took a 3-2 lead in the third set after a battle for point in the third game – Djokovic cruised through the sixth and seventh games of the set to regain momentum and ultimately claim victory in just over two hours.
Novak Djokovic, who lost in the semifinals of the Australian Open earlier this year, withdrew from the French Open due to a torn meniscus in his right knee in the quarterfinals. After undergoing surgery, Novak Djokovic returned to Wimbledon and reached the final, but lost to Carlos Alcaraz in London. This allowed Novak Djokovic to win the Olympics, where he defeated Alcaraz to win the first gold medal of his career. It was also his first title this season.
While he still has a long way to go, a win at the US Open would cap a historic year for the Serbian star. It would mark his 25th Grand Slam title, extending his lead in the race and adding to his list of accolades. It would also break his tie with Margaret Court and make him the most decorated tennis player of all time.
In the second round, Djokovic will face fellow Serbian Laslo Djere. On Monday night, Djere beat Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff in a five-set opening match.
