(August 24, 2025) FLUSHING, NY – Novak Djokovic struggled with a blister on his foot in the second set but won his first-round match in straight sets against teen Learner Tien 6-1, 7-6(3), 6-2.
“Well, I started great,” the Serbian said in his media conference. “Just over 20 minutes, first set, I felt really good. Then some long games to start the second set, and then I start to feel really — I don’t know why. I really was surprised how bad I was feeling in the second physically.
“Yeah, we had long exchanges, but also, I kind of dropped my level and made a lot of unforced errors and kind of got him back into the match. I’m glad that I kind of reset myself after second set. And the third one was — the third set was okay to finish up the match.
“There are positives but also things that hopefully won’t happen in terms of, like, how I feel on the court physically the way I felt in the second set. Hopefully that doesn’t happen, because then it makes my life on the court definitely much more challenging.
“Good thing, two days off now. But yeah, it’s slightly a concern. I don’t know. I don’t have any injury or anything. I just struggled a lot to stay in long exchanges and recover after points.
“It is what it is. But again, there was quite a bit of tension on the court, playing a young American, night session. For me, I haven’t played a match, official match, six weeks. You know, I had to deliver my A-game, which I did I think in the first set. Particularly in the second, it was surviving on the court. But in the important moments I just put one ball more in the court than he did.
“I think it was also good to experience that, in a sense, kind of break the ice officially in the tournament. So you know, looking forward to the next challenge. “
”I actually wasn’t talking about the blister when I was talking about my struggles,” Djokovic clarified. “It was more just the physical struggle on the court in the second set.”
“The blister, yeah, okay, it bothered me for a bit, but it wasn’t an issue. I’m not concerned about blister. It’s more just overall feeling of, yeah, just recovery after the points, long rallies wasn’t that great today.”
The 24-time major champion will take on Zachary Svajda for a spot in the third round.
