New York, Aug 27: Novak Djokovic, aiming for his 25th Grand Slam title, delivered a commanding performance in the opening round of the US Open, defeating qualifier Radu Albot in straight sets. The Serbian star secured his place in the second round with a convincing 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 win.
Djokovic praised the atmosphere of the night session, describing it as “electric” and highlighting the impact of the new crowd movement rule. The day’s events drew a record-breaking 74,641 spectators, including 42,886 for the day session and a record 31,775 for the night.
As the second seed, Djokovic is on a quest to become the first man to successfully defend the US Open title since Roger Federer’s five consecutive wins from 2004 to 2008. The four-time champion is looking to build on his emotional win at the Paris Olympics, though he has yet to claim a Grand Slam title this year.
In his match, Djokovic committed 10 double faults and made 40 unforced errors, but his control was evident throughout the two-hour, seven-minute match, which concluded just before midnight.
American Ben Shelton kicked off the action on Ashe with a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 triumph over 2020 champion Dominic Thiem. Thiem, who announced his retirement at the end of 2024, bid farewell to the US Open after a decade of memorable moments on the court.
Fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev secured his spot in the next round after a four-set battle against lucky loser Maximilian Marterer, finishing with a score of 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-2. Sixth-seeded Andrey Rublev defeated Brazilian Thiago Seyboth Wild 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), 7-5, while eighth-seeded Casper Ruud advanced with a 7-6 (7/2), 6-2, 6-2 win over China’s Bu Yunchaokete. Ruud will face French veteran Gael Monfils next, who overcame Diego Schwartzman 6-7 (2/7), 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 in what will be Schwartzman’s final Grand Slam appearance as he heads into retirement.
In the women’s draw, Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka cruised into the second round with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Australian qualifier Priscilla Hon. Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, seeded eighth, also advanced with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 win over Spanish qualifier Marina Bassols Ribera. Additionally, Olympic women’s singles gold medallist Zheng Qinwen of China, seeded seventh, rallied from a set down to defeat Amanda Anisimova 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
