Djokovic sets the pace against a tamed rival
The Serb started off like a bullet against Norrie, but some back issues paralyzed him. Once resolved, victories in four sets and a ticket to the round of 16.
Those of us who are still looking for Novak Djokovic in this US Open 2025 will have to keep waiting. For now, in this first week, we settle for the beta version, the one that relies on resources and keen insight to get by, but never fully masters it from start to finish. It works in bursts, but interprets situations like no one else. His victory early this morning against Cameron Norrie (6-4, 6-7, 6-2, 6-3) confirms several things. The first is that the Brit still can't score against the Serbian: H2H 7-0 down. The second is that Nole prefers to save the big guns for later. And even though he got a good scare today when he got tangled up at the back at the end of the first round, but I'll tell you more about that in the next paragraph.
Everything was going well, especially for Djokovic. After some early moments full of equality, a few missed break points and the atmosphere in the Arthur Ashe heating up, the scoreboard showed a clear 5-4 lead for the Serbian. He had the advantage he was looking for, right after breaking Norrie's serve with one of those points that gets you off your seat. However, instead of heading to the service line to close the set, what we found was a call to the tournament doctor to come and see him. Specifically, to take a look at his back, although the treatment would ultimately be private, in the locker rooms, stirring tremendous uncertainty among all those present.
Five minutes later, the man from Belgrade was back on the court. Long face, worried, no communication with his team. He simply grabbed his racket, went onto the court, sealed the 6-4 and, with the same unfriendly face, sat on the bench. The first set was in the bag, those were the good news. The bad news were related to his back, his signs of pain, the road that still lay ahead to win a best-of-five match against one of those opponents who cling on like a bloodhound. Although in terms of tennis, the result was fair, Cameron was somewhat puzzled, needing to truly challenge the champion of 24 majors.
The second set was odd, at times they gave us fascinating exchanges, but neither of them was at their best. One was physically affected, while the other seemed to be overthinking. If we go back to the 5-4 lead in the first set, 100% of the room would have said it was a done deal, the typical duel where the strongest mentality seizes the important moments, without needing to showcase a great tennis performance. Now, however, that script had nuances, many nuances. Nole's biggest security seemed to be his serve, which he had been relentless with from the beginning, but fate wanted a double fault to lead him to flounder in the tiebreak of the second set, leaving the balance deadlocked after almost two hours of battle.
THE DEFINITIVE OUTBURST
If you thought Novak was upset after losing the second set, you should have seen how he reacted after starting the third set by losing his serve. It was the last straw for the Serbian to react and realize that tonight there was no room for half measures to get the job done. In front of him was a resilient opponent, a hard worker of this sport, although always subdued by the consistency of the Serbian and, above all, by his character. What can you do, you can't have it all, hence why Norrie felt that lack of vigor as the third set started slipping away from him. They didn't do anything wrong, it was simply that the Serbian showed his horns, and only a few know how to face that. The 6-2, swift, painless, fell like a slap on the blue of the Arthur Ashe. As a preview of what was to come.
After the storm, Djokovic quickly took an early break in the fourth set. It would be the last of the match, I can assure you even as I write this report live. After many months off and away from competition, the feeling is that Djokovic needs to test himself, get into trouble, solve it, and only when he understands that the night has nothing more to offer, then he brings out the sword and finishes the job. For now, it suffices, we'll see if in the round of 16 against Jan-Lennard Struff – who came from the qualifying rounds! – the stakes increase.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Djokovic marca los ritmos ante un rival domesticado