Djokovic Advances to Quarterfinals
In a commanding performance on Sunday night, Novak Djokovic overcame an early neck concern to advance past Jan-Lennard Struff in his fourth-round matchup at the US Open. Djokovic, currently the 24-time Grand Slam champion and seeded No. 2, concluded the match with a decisive score of 6-3, 6-3, 6-2, marking his place in a remarkable 64th Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Historic Achievements
At 38 years old, Djokovic has made history by becoming the oldest player to reach the quarterfinals at the US Open since Jimmy Connors, who was nearly 39 during the 1991 tournament. Furthermore, he now holds the record for being the oldest quarterfinalist across all Grand Slams since Roger Federer made it at the age of 39 at Wimbledon in 2021. This latest achievement also puts Djokovic ahead of Federer for the most instances of reaching the last eight at every major in a single year, accomplishing this feat for the ninth time.
Match Highlights
The match began strongly for Djokovic, who raced to a 4-0 lead before experiencing some discomfort that made him clutch his neck. Despite the issues, he continued to play and almost immediately returned to form. Struff, ranked 144th and who defeated Frances Tiafoe in the prior round, had moments of potential but couldn’t maintain pressure on the masterful Serbian, as Djokovic improved his head-to-head record against him to a perfect 8-0.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, Djokovic will face Taylor Fritz, the No. 4 seed and last American man left in the draw, in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. Fritz secured his spot after a straight-sets victory of 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 over No. 21 seed Tomas Machac.
Injury Concerns
During a break after the first set against Struff, medical staff attended to Djokovic’s neck and shoulder with a massage, suggesting some lingering discomfort, but his performance remained unaffected during the match. This isn’t the first time this tournament that Djokovic has sought treatment; he has also dealt with foot blisters and a lower-back issue earlier in the competition. Djokovic aims to add another title to his impressive four championships in New York, the most recent of which came this year in 2023.
