Novak Djokovic believes his tennis is still good enough to compete for a 25th Grand Slam title.
It’s his body that has to show it can hold up.
Djokovic shook off a back problem early in the match to beat Cam Norrie on Friday night and, at 38, become the oldest man to reach the fourth round of the U.S. Open since Jimmy Connors was the same age in 1991.
Djokovic pulled away to win 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-3, helped by hitting 18 aces in what he said was his best serving performance of a tournament in which he needed treatment for a blister on his big toe in the first round and for his back in the third.
“The wear and tear on the body all these years is taking a toll, and I’m aware of it, but I’m resisting it,” Djokovic said. “I’m trying to do my best to still be out there competing with the young guys in the highest level.”
The 24-time Grand Slam champion seemed in jeopardy of matching his earliest exit in Flushing Meadows when he needed medical attention near the end of the first set. But he recovered to reach the last 16 of a major for the 69th time, matching Roger Federer for most ever, and will next face German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff.
“It’s just fantastic how good he’s playing,” Struff said. “He shows us all that you can play long tennis and very, very good tennis at his age.”
It was during a point at 5-3 in the first set that Djokovic raised his racket awkwardly to reach a volley and immediately showed signs that all was not well. He began trying to stretch his back between points and barely ran for one ball that Norrie hit toward a corner.
After that, Djokovic indicated to the chair umpire that he wanted a visit from a trainer, and soon was walking to the locker room for a medical timeout, clutching at his lower left back. Djokovic returned to the court soon and held serve to take the opening set.
At the changeover at 2-1 in the second set, Djokovic got a back massage while seated on the sideline and also was given pills by a doctor. He went on to lose that set and get broken in the first game of the third before swinging the match back in his favor.
It’s the third time at a Grand Slam tournament this season that Djokovic has been hampered after getting hurt during a match. At the Australian Open in January, he tore a hamstring and was unable to continue after one set of his semifinal against Alexander Zverev.
At Wimbledon in July, Djokovic took an awkward fall in the last game of his quarterfinal victory, tweaking his groin muscle, and while he stayed in the bracket there, he was clearly compromised during a semifinal loss against eventual champion Jannik Sinner.
“It’s frustrating for me, honestly, that I’m not able to feel 100 percent always like I have for 20-plus years,” Djokovic said. “But yeah, I guess the circumstances are quite different and I have to get used to the fact that every match there’s something that might happen as it has been the case this year pretty much every Slam.”
The U.S. Open was Djokovic’s first tournament since then and he’s had some struggles in each of his first three matches.
“My team wants me to suffer on the court so I can get more minutes of match play,” he joked.
Sixth seed Ben Shelton was forced to retire from his U.S. Open third-round clash against France’s Adrian Mannarino on Friday, shortly before 17th seed Frances Tiafoe also bowed out – delivering a major blow to American hopes of ending a 22-year drought for a men’s Grand Slam title.
Shelton appeared to struggle with a left shoulder issue, visibly wincing after a forehand early in the fourth set on Louis Armstrong Stadium. He continued to clutch at the area while getting ready to return serve in the second game, ultimately unable to continue.
“I just did something to my shoulder I don’t know what it is. I’m in a lot of pain,” Shelton said to his father and coach, Bryan Shelton. Shelton later told his father it was the “worst pain” he had ever experienced, before consulting the physio again. Despite the discomfort, he managed to hold his own against the crafty left-hander Mannarino, who delivered flashes of brilliance throughout the match.
Touted as a potential contender to end the long American men’s title drought at Flushing Meadows – dating back to Andy Roddick’s 2003 triumph – Shelton looked visibly distraught during the changeover, burying his face in his towel as emotions took over. Moments later, he retired from the match, prompting audible gasps from the stunned home crowd.
“When he started having pain, he was leading in the match,” said Mannarino, who rallied from a set down to draw level at 3-6 6-3 4-6 6-4 when the match was abandoned.
“He probably would have won. It’s unfortunate for him and very lucky for me. I don’t really know what to say right now. I suppose I’m happy to get through. I wish him the best.”
“I was having good fun on the court there were some long rallies. I lost some of them, won some of them. It was fun to play. Ben’s such an amazing player, it was a great match. I was enjoying my time on court, even if I was losing.”
Just an hour later, American fans faced another tough blow as Frances Tiafoe, a Flushing Meadows mainstay since 2019, suffered a straight-sets defeat – 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(7) – to Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff on Grandstand. Struff, despite a late bout of double faults, held his nerve in the closing stages to eliminate last year’s semi-finalist and deepen the disappointment for the home crowd.
“I think everybody knows sometimes it’s tough to serve out the match. I tried to stay calm and tried to refocus and I managed to get some energy back so I was very happy about that,” Struff said.
With the exits of Shelton and Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz now stands as the leading American hope at this year’s final Grand Slam. He defeated Jerome Kym to reach the fourth round to keep home hopes alive at Flushing Meadows.