Novak Djokovic made a striking entrance onto Arthur Ashe Stadium for his first tennis match as an Olympic champion, adorned with gleaming gold bags on each shoulder, symbolizing his recent victory in Paris. While he continues to bask in the glory of his achievement, the tennis world quickly moves on, and Djokovic’s attention shifted to defending his title at the US Open.
In his opening match, Djokovic displayed a solid performance, defeating qualifier Radu Albot with a score of 6-2, 6-2, 6-4, successfully moving into the second round. With this win, he has made history by securing 78 match victories on Ashe, more than any other male player.
Following his triumph in Paris, Djokovic took some time to celebrate before focusing on the final grand slam of the year. Unlike many of his fast-paced transitions from victory to the next tournament, the 37-year-old relished in what he considers his greatest achievement and chose to skip competitions in Canada and Cincinnati to fully commemorate his Olympic success.
He spent additional time in Paris before returning to Belgrade, where he was welcomed by joyous crowds. During his visit to Serbia’s capital, he engaged with fans, sharing moments through open car windows as he rode through the streets.
This US Open marks Djokovic’s first hard court event since March, and he has only competed in four hard court tournaments this year. As he seeks to regain his rhythm on this surface without prior hard court preparation, he benefits from a favorable draw, avoiding top competitors like Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Daniil Medvedev in the early rounds.
On Monday, Djokovic faced Albot, a Moldovan qualifier who has spent much of his career ranked between No. 50 and 150. Despite a slow start with his first serve, Djokovic swiftly asserted dominance, pressuring Albot’s serve and ultimately securing a comfortable victory.
“It’s always challenging to start, particularly when you haven’t played on this surface for five, six months,” Djokovic commented. “There’s no official matches before the US Open, so I expect to face some challenges early on. But I plan to improve each day and make use of practice sessions to refine my game.”
Having recently undergone knee surgery, Djokovic moved well during the match, assuring that his knee was functioning without issues. His next opponent will be compatriot Laslo Djere, who won his first-round match against Jan Lennard Struff.
Djokovic noted the significance of Serbian players competing against each other, saying, “It’s great for Serbian tennis that two of us are facing off. It guarantees a spot in the third round for one of us, and I hope it’ll be me.”
As he aims for a record 25th grand slam title, Djokovic expressed that his motivation remains strong despite having achieved nearly every significant accolade in tennis. “People ask me what else there is to win now that I have everything,” he said. “I still feel driven and competitive, eager to make history and inspire young tennis players.”