Novak Djokovic has won both of his matches at the 2024 US Open so far, but neither was particularly clean, as he struggled in both.
The first match against Radu Albot seemed, on the surface, to be a perfect match. He won it easily in three sets, but he had many problems in his game, most notably his serve. He didn’t serve well and admitted after the match that it was a problem he needed to address.
The second match rolled around, and Djokovic once again struggled with his serve. He seemed to struggle even more than in the previous match, which was really atypical. Generally, he does better than in the previous match; however, the opposite happened this time.
It wasn’t the only thing he struggled with, as he also dealt with some health issues. He confirmed to the media after the match that he had stomach problems for a good portion of the match. It bothered him quite a bit, causing profuse sweating and some breathing issues as well.
"Yes, I had troubles with my stomach in the bigger part of the first two sets. It reflected on my recovery in-between points. I was sweating a lot, I had difficulties breathing."
Stomach issues are nothing new to Djokovic, who has dealt with them many times in previous years. The Serbian even drastically altered his nutrition earlier in his career, which certainly improved his tennis.
It is an issue that may come up every now and then, but he has always managed to endure it. Beyond that, he is still getting used to these new tennis courts. The courts in New York were changed in an effort to speed them up.
Apparently, they were supposed to be as fast as those in Cincinnati, which are some of the quickest on Tour, but that didn’t happen. For Djokovic, the courts play quite a bit faster and are also low bouncing, which is very different from before.
"Courts play a lot faster this year, the bounce is lower. The organizers say they made it that way because last year there were a lot of marathon, gruelling matches. As for the balls, it seems to me that they’re great – they don’t become fluffy and heavy, which makes it easier on the joints."
While Djokovic's stance is interesting, some have claimed that the courts don't feel fast at all, so it just shows that it differs from player to player. Daniil Medvedev would have probably said that they're not fast enough, but for the 24-time major winner, they are quite fast.
The tennis balls are the same balls used two years ago when Djokovic couldn't participate. Still, it doesn't seem to bother him unless it comes to his serve. That's been hugely problematic so far. Fans will hope that things go well for him, but he's given them little to worry about so far.
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