Novak Djokovic believes his tennis is still good enough to compete for a 25th Grand Slam title.
It's his body that has to show it can hold up.
Djokovic shook off a back problem early in the match to beat Cam Norrie on Friday night and, at 38, become the oldest man to reach the fourth round of the U.S. Open since Jimmy Connors was the same age in 1991.
Djokovic pulled away to win 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-3, helped by hitting 18 aces in what he said was his best serving performance of a tournament in which he needed treatment for a blister on his big toe in the first round and for his back in the third.
“The wear and tear on the body all these years is taking a toll, and I’m aware of it, but I’m resisting it,” Djokovic said. “I’m trying to do my best to still be out there competing with the young guys in the highest level.”
The 24-time Grand Slam champion seemed in jeopardy of matching his earliest exit in Flushing Meadows when he needed medical attention near the end of the first set. But he recovered to reach the last 16 of a major for the 69th time, matching Roger Federer for most ever, and will next face German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff.
“It’s just fantastic how good he’s playing,” Struff said. “He shows us all that you can play long tennis and very, very good tennis at his age.”
It was during a point at 5-3 in the first set that Djokovic raised his racket awkwardly to reach a volley and immediately showed signs that all was not well. He began trying to stretch his back between points and barely ran for one ball that Norrie hit toward a corner.
After that, Djokovic indicated to the chair umpire that he wanted a visit from a trainer, and soon was walking to the locker room for a medical timeout, clutching at his lower left back. Djokovic returned to the court soon and held serve to take the opening set.
At the changeover at 2-1 in the second set, Djokovic got a back massage while seated on the sideline and also was given pills by a doctor. He went on to lose that set and get broken in the first game of the third before swinging the match back in his favor.
It's the third time at a Grand Slam tournament this season that Djokovic has been hampered after getting hurt during a match. At the Australian Open in January, he tore a hamstring and was unable to continue after one set of his semifinal against Alexander Zverev.
At Wimbledon in July, Djokovic took an awkward fall in the last game of his quarterfinal victory, tweaking his groin muscle, and while he stayed in the bracket there, he was clearly compromised during a semifinal loss against eventual champion Jannik Sinner.
“It’s frustrating for me, honestly, that I’m not able to feel 100 percent always like I have for 20-plus years,” Djokovic said. “But yeah, I guess the circumstances are quite different and I have to get used to the fact that every match there’s something that might happen as it has been the case this year pretty much every Slam.”
The U.S. Open was Djokovic's first tournament since then and he's had some struggles in each of his first three matches.
“My team wants me to suffer on the court so I can get more minutes of match play,” he joked.
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