After a thrilling start, Djokovic found his rhythm at the US Open, overcoming the resilient Norrie.

In his prior two rather routine wins, Djokovic’s fitness was more in the spotlight than his gameplay. On Friday evening, despite some dramatic scenes caused by his condition at the beginning, he managed to beat the tough Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-3.

“Well, I’m okay.” When asked about his back during an on-court interview, Djokovic replied cautiously, “There are always ups and downs during a match… I don’t want to give too much information to the opponents watching and listening to this interview.”

“I’m good, man. I’m as young and strong as ever. Yes, this is New York. Even if you feel some discomfort physically, the energy in this stadium can more than make up for it.”

Djokovic played exceptionally well in the first set, losing only two points on his serve and hitting 17 winners. However, after the ninth game, he requested a medical timeout, which raised concerns among fans at Arthur Ashe Stadium about his condition.

Near the end of the first set, Djokovic awkwardly moved at the net and held his lower back — at that moment, he was returning a high ball behind his head with a backhand. Shortly after, leading 5-4 and about to serve for the set, the 38-year-old left Arthur Ashe Stadium to receive treatment from ATP physiotherapist Clay Sniteman in the locker room.

Djokovic also received treatment during the first changeover in the second set, but after that, he showed little sign of discomfort for the remainder of the match.

In this high-quality match, the brave Norrie hit 44 winners, including 27 forehand winners. Djokovic, on the other hand, produced 51 winners,including 18 aces — a personal best for him at Flushing Meadows, where the US Open is held.

“Overall, this might be my best serving performance in this tournament,” Djokovic said. “Of course, I’m very happy about that. Serving is probably the most important shot in tennis, if not the most, then definitely one of the most crucial. So I’m satisfied with how I executed my serve.”

In the fourth round, Djokovic will face a German playerJan-Lennard Struff— who caused an upset by defeating 2024 US Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(7).

Djokovic holds a 7-0 head-to-head record against Struff, with their most recent meeting four years ago in the Davis Cup.

Based on seedings, he is set to face Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals and potentially Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals.

Djokovic’s last Grand Slam title came at the 2023 US Open held in Flushing Meadows, marking his 24th major championship in his career.

Currently ranked 34th in the PIF ATP live rankings, Norrie has a 0-11 record against Top 10 players in Grand Slams and remains winless at 0-7 against Djokovic in ATP meetings.

Fourth seed Fritz also endured a tough match, lasting 2 hours and 58 minutes, defeating Swiss qualifier Jérôme Kym 7-6(3), 6-7(9), 6-4, 6-4.

“It’s easy to get frustrated in matches like this — some shots don’t go your way, maybe you don’t play at the level you want, but I did well to hang in there,” Fritz said. “But I kept telling myself: ‘Win this match, get a day off, and I can fix things,’ and I can keep improving throughout the tournament.”

Fritz has played four-set matches in two consecutive rounds, but against Kym, he served 20 aces and was broken only once, avoiding further trouble. Next, he will face 21st seed Tommy Paul, who earlier defeated French player Hugo Gaston 7-5, 6-3, 6-1.

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