Novak Djokovic is no longer the youngest, and it seems his age is increasingly affecting his tennis.
Playing at the highest level at 38 is not easy. No one knows what it's like until they've actually done it, which is why athletes competing in their 40s face unique challenges they weren't prepared for.
Djokovic knows what it felt like when he was 24 years old, at his peak, recovering quickly, and not having any unforeseen problems. Now, at 38, he has to deal with the inconsistent feeling of his body, which can literally change from one minute to another.
That's what happened to the Serbian legend in his first match at the 2025 US Open. He took on Learner Tien, who is a talented 19-year-old player already ranked inside the Top 50 on the ATP Tour.
Despite his undeniable talent, Tien couldn't really bother the 24-time Grand Slam champion in the first set of their meeting. In the second set, however, Djokovic started unexpectedly struggling, often bending down in exhaustion.
It was just a second set of his first-round match, which meant the 38-year-old had spent only about an hour on the court at that point. It was a surprising moment, which is why Djokovic was asked about it after the match.
The four-time US Open champion admitted that even he was surprised by how bad he was feeling. He stated that he felt well at the start of the match, but that worsened in the second set.
"I started great. Just over 20 minutes, first set, I felt really good. Then some long games to start the second set, and then I start to feel really—I don’t know why. I really was surprised how bad I was feeling in the second physically."
Djokovic calls his physical struggles at the US Open "a concern"
Djokovic isn't usually someone who would want to talk about his physical struggles too much. Quite the opposite. He usually brushes off any questions about his problems, not trying to focus on them.
This time, that wasn't the case. The Serbian player admitted that he is concerned about his physical issues and hopes they won't impact his tennis moving forward.
"There are positives, but also things that hopefully won’t happen in terms of, like, how I feel on the court physically the way I felt in the second set. It’s slightly a concern. I don’t know. I don’t have any injury or anything. I just struggled a lot to stay in long exchanges and recover after points."
Not knowing what will happen the next day is the unique aspect of competing at 38. For now, Djokovic's level is way above his opponents in the first rounds of Grand Slams, so even with some struggles, he is able to keep winning.
Up next, the seventh seed will take on another American player. This time, it will be the World No. 145, Zachary Svajda, who got into the main draw through the qualifying.
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