Djokovic struggles to defeat Vietnamese-American tennis player at US Open

(Dan Tri) - Former world No. 1 Novak Djokovic had a difficult start at the 2025 US Open when he won 6-1, 7-6(3), 6-2 against young player Learner Tien on the morning of August 25.

Despite advancing, Djokovic’s performance showed worrying signs of fitness and form after more than six weeks off the court. The Serb’s first match since losing to Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semi-finals was filled with a range of emotions. The first set saw Djokovic completely dominate, taking just 24 minutes to win 6-1, scoring two aces and committing just four unforced errors. However, things became much more complicated in the second set.

Djokovic is struggling physically after not competing for six weeks (Photo: Getty).

Djokovic admitted to struggling with his footwork and balance, struggling physically in the conditions and making 20 unforced errors in the set alone. He also frequently looked to his team for technical advice and even fell awkwardly due to poor footwork.

“It was a strange match. The first set was only 20 minutes, then the second set was an hour and 20 minutes, so we played completely opposite sets. The important thing for me was to stay strong in the second set and win the tie-break. After that, I started to feel better. I can always do better, but it was a great way to start the year,” Djokovic said after the match.

However, Tien's ability to turn the game around midway through the second set to take a two-set lead laid the foundation for Djokovic's eventual victory. The young American, ranked 50th in the ATP rankings, had a great chance to cause a surprise when he had a set point in Djokovic's 10th game. If he had converted it, the path to victory for the physically weak Serb would have been much more difficult.

“I started really well, but after a couple of long games in the second set, I started to feel a little bit off. I was really surprised to feel that bad in the second set. Luckily I had two days off. That was a little bit worrying. I’m not injured or anything. I had trouble making long shots and recovering after points,” Djokovic said.

Djokovic’s physical problems didn’t stop there. He had to call ATP physiotherapist Clay Sniteman to the court after the second set to re-bandage a bleeding big toe on his right foot. Earlier in the match, he appeared to have hip problems and also pulled his racket behind his head several times, presumably to get more oxygen.

Learner Tien missed a great chance to beat Djokovic (Photo: Getty).

Tien, however, hit 25 unforced errors in the first two sets – including five double faults – to deny last year’s Next Gen ATP Finals runner-up his chances in his first head-to-head with Djokovic, a seven-time Nitto ATP Finals champion. Tien, who stunned Daniil Medvedev in five sets in the first round of the Australian Open earlier this season, struggled in his first night match at the 23,000-capacity Arthur Ashe Stadium against the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

Djokovic, who is looking for his first major title since winning the 2023 US Open, will have two days rest before facing American Zachary Svajda in the second round.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/djokovic-nhoc-nhan-danh-bai-tay-vot-goc-viet-tai-us-open-20250825103552902.htm