Defending champion Novak Djokovic began his US Open campaign with a straightforward victory over Radu Albot, winning 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 in the first round on Tuesday, August 27, at the ongoing 2024 edition of the tournament.
Djokovic, who recently secured the 2024 Cincinnati Open title, faced little resistance from Albot, cruising into the second round with relative ease.
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Despite the win, the Serbian star acknowledged that his performance was not flawless, citing difficulties with his serve and rhythm on certain shots.
“I think it was a solid start,” Djokovic reflected, as quoted by ATP Tour.
“I struggled with my serve and the rhythm on certain shots. Overall, from the back of the court, I thought I played pretty well. It’s always challenging to start, particularly when you haven’t played on this surface for five, six months and are coming off an Olympic gold and playing on clay. I haven’t had any official matches before the US Open, so I’m expecting to be challenged a little bit more in the opening rounds.”
Looking ahead, Djokovic expressed optimism about improving his form as the tournament progresses.
“Hopefully I can play better each day. The good thing about Slams is you have a day between matches where you can train, where you can really work on things and perfect your game,” he said.
“That’s what I feel like I need. So I’m going to hit the practice courts [on Tuesday] and work on things that haven’t really worked during the match and keep striving to be better.”
With this victory, Djokovic advances to the second round, where he aims to continue his pursuit of another US Open title.
