Novak Djokovic “didn’t care” that his return to Arthur Ashe Stadium was delayed until the early hours of the morning as he marked his return to Flushing Meadows with a confident win over France’s Alexandre Muller. Djokovic has had a love-hate relationship with the US Open in recent years, dating back to 2020 when he was thrown out of the tournament after accidentally hitting a line judge with a ball.
The following year saw Djokovic’s bid for a Calendar Slam stopped by Daniil Medvedev in emphatic fashion. And the Serbian tennis icon was unable to get his revenge in 2022 due to his vaccination status.
Djokovic now has a fourth US Open title in his sights for this year’s tournament and he got off to a flying start against Muller. The 36-year-old barely broke a sweat to bagel his opponent in the opening set before wrapping things up in a little over an hour and a half.
He was made to wait for his return to the Arthur Ashe Stadium as the US Open schedule saw Djokovic’s match start just before midnight. But the 23-time Grand Slam champion had no issues with the late start as he was just happy to be back playing in the US Open.
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“Well, I knew it was going to be a late night for me, late start of the match,” he said in his press conference. “Nevertheless, I mean, I was excited to go out on the court. I didn’t care if I started after midnight because I was looking forward to this moment for few years, to be out on the biggest stadium in our sport, the loudest stadium in our sport, playing night session.
“Tonight was a special night, they had a ceremony. It took longer than I would probably have wanted. As I said, it was a great joy to be stepping out on the court.
“I think the performance explains how I felt tonight, particularly in the first two sets. It was kind of lights-out tennis really, almost flawless, perfect first set. I’ve probably had the answer for every shot he had in his book. Overall I’m very, very pleased with the way I feel, with the way I’m playing.
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“Hopefully I can maintain that level. It’s just the beginning of the tournament, but I already like the level of tennis.”
Late matches into the early hours of the morning at majors have been an issue for players this year but Djokovic feels it is better suited at the American slam. He added: “They don’t care if they stay up very late, post midnight, because they get excited.
“I love it. It’s great because every Grand Slam has its own charm in a way. Comparing to, for example, Wimbledon, it’s a complete contrast. In Wimbledon it’s different than here. Here is all about entertainment, fun, good energy, good vibes. If you can feed on that, you’ll have a lot of fun.”
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