Djokovic - The giant tries to challenge time

No more familiar smile on the field, Djokovic appears in the US to expand 2025 with a tired appearance, far from the usual ruling image. 6 weeks of absence after being eliminated by Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon semi -finals showed that the long break did not compete for his performance. He "The giant " was trying to wake up, trying to restart the conquered machine for a while, wash the rust from long sleep. Time has definitely left a mark on the body of the Serbian player, making the steps heavy, the polishing phase is sometimes inaccurate.

In the opening match in New York, playing in the evening in all black costumes, Djokovic showed an expression of physical weakness when fighting young tennis player. Although he did not lose any set, he still had difficulty in the second set. "At that time, I just tried to survive on the pitch," he admitted. The face showed tiredness with red skin, but Djokovic still showed his bravery when he tightened the gameplay at important scores, avoiding prolonging the game. Two weeks of playing at a Grand Slam becomes a wear and tear, where any mistake can finish Djokovic from the terrible pace that the juniors Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz - the new "express train" are set to dominate the world tennis village. Djokovic started badly, made up to 14 self-damaged errors in the first set and was led 1-3 in the third set. Constantly pushed into a difficult position, he had to rely on experience and take advantage of SVAJDA's leg injury to the upstream, winning with a score of 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-3, 6-1.

on Arthur Ashe, his face was not radiant. "Honestly, my performance is not very good ," Djokovic admitted. "I am not satisfied with my form, even though I have to recognize Svajda who played well. It's a pity when he injured ".

victory over Svajda not only brought Djokovic to continue but also helped him set a new record: 75th in the third round of a Grand Slam, surpassing Federer. This is also the 19th time he has participated in the expansion third round - with Federer's record - and the 191th victory on the hard ground in Grand Slam - also equal to Federer. These figures are not trivial, but with Djokovic, they seem to be just a side milestone and not enough to make him laugh. "I understand that after all the victories and the years on the pitch, many people think I have nothing to prove or achieve anymore. But for me, the most important thing right now is to try my best to find a way to win". Not because he no longer found joy on the pitch, but was not happy to be able to play as well as he wanted. His body language also reflects that: bowed heads, frustrating screams, and muscular adjustment gestures around the shoulder in the match against Svajda showing a Djokovic struggling to find the rhythm. A struggle between the desire for victory, continuing to fight for the goal of conquering the 25th Grand Slam and resigned to the body limit when he knew he was not young. However, there is still a survival instinct, what is honed from the past, as he once shared: "All I have experienced in the difficult period of the family in the Balkan battle brought me here. Failure in tennis is not an option. I have to succeed. It is a matter of survival ".

Whether carrying a bag on the training ground every morning or wandering through the changing rooms around the world no longer makes him excited, Djokovic still yearns for young players. "The motivation is still there. I repeat, I am disappointed with my form. But I still love the competition, and that's why I continue to put pressure on myself," he said. "More importantly, I still want to confront young players, otherwise I wouldn't have been here ".

In an interview with YouTuber Jay Shetty, author published in 2020, Think Like A Monk (thought like a monk), Djokovic opened my heart: "I have achieved what I yearn for, but I want to be more passionate. This sport, as well as bringing joy to the audience when watching me play. I feel that I am still spreading light when playing. "If I go far in the US to expand, I will miss the birthday of Tara's daughter - September 2, so I hope not to miss again", he shared, suggesting that the nearly 20 -year journey at the peak may be nearly the end.

The match against Cameron Norrie in the third round, expected to be another test with Djokovic. But with 6 victories over 6 previous confrontations - including overwhelming victory in the fourth round of Roland Garros this year - the problem is not in Norrie, but in Djokovic can find the best performance to face Sinner or Alcaraz in the next rounds..

ending the press conference after the victory of SVAJDA, Djokovic finally showed a rare smile when promising: "Don't worry about me, the next match I will tighten my fists, just to make you happy! " Although the US expands 2025 and may not witness a Djokovic at the peak, but with a legendary, " Sleep.