Novak Djokovic kept his dream of winning a record 25th Grand Slam alive as he powered past qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff to secure a place in the US Open quarter-finals.
The 38-year-old Serb dominated from start to finish, sealing a 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 victory in under two hours. Although he twice called for medical help during the match, his control never looked in doubt.
Djokovic started strong, racing to a 4-0 lead in the first set before Struff managed to get on the scoreboard. Although he slowed slightly due to neck pain, he took the opener 6-3.
In the second set, Djokovic fell behind early but responded with four straight games to seize control, closing it 6-3 before seeking more treatment for his forearm. In the final set, he broke early and never looked back, wrapping up the win with authority.
With this victory, Djokovic reached his 64th Grand Slam quarter-final in his 80th major appearance, keeping his chase for a historic 25th title alive.
Fitness questions remain
Djokovic is playing his first tournament since his Wimbledon semi-final loss in July. He skipped the Masters events in Toronto and Cincinnati to recover. In New York, he showed signs of fatigue in his opening rounds and needed treatment for a back problem during his third-round win over Britain’s Cameron Norrie.
Against Struff, he again asked for medical attention—once for a neck issue and later for discomfort in his right forearm. Yet, the injuries did not slow him down. Djokovic hit 33 winners, served 12 aces, and avoided any double faults.
Djokovic praises his serve
After the match, Djokovic credited his serving for keeping him in control. “It definitely helps if you serve well. I think I had a great serving performance in the last round and also tonight,” he said.
“I just saw the stats, I out-served one of the guys that had the most aces during the tournament this year, so that’s a great stat. Obviously that helps make my life easier on the court. Maybe I don’t need to work as hard or unnecessarily more than I have to.”
Quarter-final clash with Fritz
Djokovic will next face fourth seed Taylor Fritz, who cruised past Czech Tomas Machac in straight sets. The Serb revealed that his daughter Tara was unhappy the match falls on her birthday.
“She was not very happy about it, me being absent from the birthday party. Don’t remind me of that, please,” Djokovic said.
“I’ll try to win if I’m here. At least I’m going to try to win and give her that kind of present. I’m going to send some nice presents, as well, nice surprises for her birthday party.”
Record-breaking run continues
At 38 years and 94 days, Djokovic became the oldest player in the Open Era to reach the quarter-finals at all four majors in the same season. Reflecting on playing under the lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium, he said, “I don’t know how many more I am going to have so each one is very special.”