US Open: Djokovic moves into last 16 beating the record of hard Grand Slam wins

The Serbian legend Novak Djokovic moved into the last 16 of the US Open on Friday night, continuing a defining trend of his 2025 Grand Slam season: the loss of a set. For the third consecutive match in Flushing Meadows, Djokovic dropped a set, a pattern he also exhibited at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, where he reached the semifinals.

Djokovic, the No. 7 seed, defeated a tough Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-3. This latest win follows similar four-set victories over American qualifier Learner Tien.

Though he showed some signs of back discomfort, the 38-year-old seemed unconcerned in his post-match interview. “It’s New York,” Djokovic said. “Even if you’re feeling something body-wise, the energy you feel on this court overrides it…electric.”

Djokovic : “As fresh as ever”

With his victory, Djokovic broke a tie with Roger Federer to become the all-time men’s leader in hard-court Grand Slam wins, with 192. While the number is impressive, it is just one more in an ocean of his records.

While Djokovic conceded the second set in a tiebreak, the overall narrative was one of control and dominance. The numbers against Norrie tell a clear story of Djokovic’s command. He hit 51 winners to Norrie’s 44, and his serve was a fortress, winning an impressive 83% of his first-serve points. While Norrie managed to win the lone break point he earned, converting at a perfect 100%, Djokovic was far more opportunistic, breaking his opponent five times. This ability to absorb a punch and then deliver a series of decisive blows has become a hallmark of his season.

His next challenge comes in the form of German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff. At 35, Struff is a veteran with a formidable serve who has been on an inspired run. As for his own physical condition, Djokovic, ever the showman, laughed during his press conference. “I am as fresh as ever,” he said. “To the rivals watching: I’m young as ever.” Struff, at 35, would likely say the same.

New York (G rand Slam), other third-round results (USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, hard, USD 90.000.000, most recent results first):

• Alexander Bublik vs. Tommy Paul
• Alexander Zverev vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime
• Daniel Altmaier vs. Alex De Minaur
• Kamil Majchrzak vs. Leandro Riedi
• Jannik Sinner vs. Denis Shapovalov
• Jaume Munar vs. Zizou Bergs
• Chak Lam Coleman Wong vs. Andrey Rublev
• Lorenzo Musetti vs. Flavio Cobolli
• Jerome Kym vs. Taylor Fritz: saturday
• Tomas Machac (21) beat Ugo Blanchet (Q): 7-5, 6-3, 6-1
• Jan-Lennard Struff beat Frances Tiafoe (17): 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7)
• Adrian Mannarino beat Ben Shelton (6): 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 ret.
• Carlos Alcaraz (2) beat Luciano Darderi (32): 6-2, 6-4, 6-0
• Arthur Rinderknech beat Benjamin Bonzi: 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2
• Jiri Lehecka (20) beat Raphael Collignon: 6-4, 6-4, 6-4