Novak Djokovic, despite his win over Taylor Fritz last night, has admitted he struggled with one issue throughout the match.
It was far from a vintage performance from the Serbian superstar, but realistically, it didn’t have to be.
He remained rock-solid throughout and showed up when it mattered most on the crucial points.
His American opponent simply did not turn up for the occasion.
What makes this so much more frustrating for Taylor Fritz is the fact that Novak Djokovic didn’t even have to play that well, as he would allude to in his post-match press conference.
Novak Djokovic claims Taylor Fritz was the better player for two sets
Speaking to reporters, he admitted: “He was the better player in the second and third set. I thought, for my standards, that I wasn’t playing well. I don’t know. I didn’t feel the ball as well as I did feel the ball in the third round.
“Taylor is the kind of player if you allow him to play, he is going to try and dictate and be aggressive and stay close to the line, take his forehands and punish you. I was just trying to survive and stay in the rally, make him play. It was good for me that he was not making a lot of first serves in during the first couple of sets.
“Then he raised his level of the first serve and the first serve percentage went up. Then all of a sudden, it was so much more difficult for me to stay in his service games.
“But then I think in important moments in the fourth I served well, mixed it up a bit. Came to the net as well, just trying to give him a different look and waited patiently for my opportunity. Realistically, I just had one game where I just had a chance to break him, which was the last one. The one that gave me the victory, and he gifted it to me with the double fault.”
Djokovic’s analysis even extended to the very last points of the match continuing: “I was in the rally on both my match points prior to that, I just played too conservatively and waited for his mistake instead of trying to take the ball early. But I didn’t feel that I was playing well; I did not feel my shots as well as I did a few days ago.”
He concluded by summing up the night’s work: “It’s one of those days where you just have to grind, you know. You just have to play with your heart and fight. That’s what really gave me the win in the end.”
Djokovic has previewed his US Open semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz already, clearly excited by the opportunity to reignite their famous rivalry.
Novak Djokovic vs Taylor Fritz head-to-head
With this latest notch in their now 11 matches played against one another, it is worth revisiting how this win for Djokovic changes the landscape of their rivalry.
And, in short, the answer is little.
After all, the Serbian had already never lost to Fritz, and this result does not change that. It merely extends the dominance we already knew existed.
These two played their first match against one another back in 2019, where Djokovic crushed the young American.
Now, over six years on, nothing has changed, with the veteran having beaten him in Masters tournaments, Grand Slams, ATP Finals events and beyond, with this the second time they have met at the US Open.
