On Monday, August 26, Novak Djokovic started his journey to defend his title at the 2024 US Open by beating Radu Albot from Moldova in the first round. He won the match in two hours and eight minutes with a score of 6-2, 6-2, 6-4.

A few weeks after winning at the Paris Olympics, the Serbian player didn’t play his best during the match. He made 10 double faults and only 47 percent of his first serves were successful.

He struggled to convert break points, with his opponent saving 10 out of 16 times. The champion also made 40 unforced errors in the three sets. Djokovic admitted to playing inconsistently against the world No.138 during the post-match press conference.

He thought about not getting enough playing time on hard courts before the tournament, stating: ”

• Starting can be tough, especially when you haven’t played on this surface for a long time and are transitioning from winning an Olympic gold medal to playing on clay. I haven’t had any official matches before the US Open, so I anticipate facing more challenges in the early rounds.

The 37-year-old has been wearing a brace on his right knee after having surgery for a meniscus tear he got during the 2024 French Open. But he says his knee is feeling okay.

During the press conference at the 2024 US Open on Monday, Novak Djokovic expressed his excitement for the one-day break before his upcoming match. He stated, “I am looking forward to making the most of this opportunity.”

• I hope to improve my game every day.
  The great thing about Slams is that there is a day off between matches to practice and focus on improving your skills. That’s what I want and what I think will help me succeed. So, I’ll be practicing tomorrow to work on areas that didn’t go well in the match and continue to strive for improvement.”

Djokovic is set to play against another Serbian player, Laslo Djere, in the next round. Djere beat Jan-Lennard Struff from Germany in a tough five-set match on Monday. It took Djere three hours and 43 minutes to defeat Struff with a score of 6-7(7), 6-1, 6-7(7), 6-4, 6-2.

Whichever of the two Serbs wins will face either 28th seed Alexei Popyrin or Pedro Martinez in the third round of the US Open.