Novak Djokovic overcame an early scare to achieve the third spherical of the U.S. Open on Wednesday (August 27, 2025) as defending girls’s champion Aryna Sabalenka ready to step up her title bid.
Djokovic, who’s chasing a report twenty fifth Grand Slam singles title, recovered from going a set down in opposition to American qualifier Zachary Svajda to finish a 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 win on the Arthur Ashe Stadium Courtroom.
The 38-year-old Serbian legend had not performed since his semi-final exit at Wimbledon in July earlier than arriving in New York, skipping many of the North American hardcourt swing.
Djokovic mentioned that whereas not at his finest, he’s hoping to play himself into kind because the event progresses.
“That’s what I’m hoping, the deeper I’m going into the event the higher I really feel about my recreation,” he mentioned.
“Clearly a bit totally different for me the final couple of years body-wise. I get the wear and tear and tear faster than I used to do.”
Djokovic’s victory sees him into the third spherical on the U.S. Open for a record-equalling nineteenth time, the place he’ll face Britain’s Cameron Norrie, who defeated Argentina’s Francisco Comesana 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 6-7 (0/7), 7-6 (7/4).
Norrie is one in every of solely two British males left within the draw after fifth-seeded compatriot Jack Draper withdrew resulting from harm earlier Wednesday (August 27, 2025).
Draper reached the semi-finals in New York final yr however missed warm-up occasions in Cincinnati and Toronto this yr whereas nursing a bone bruise in his left arm. Draper’s second spherical opponent, Belgium’s Zizou Bergs, was given a walkover into the third spherical.
The withdrawal of Draper clears Jannik Sinner’s path in direction of defending his title. Sinner was resulting from face Draper within the quarter-finals.
In different males’s motion on Wednesday (August 27, 2025), Norwegian twelfth seed Casper Ruud, the 2022 U.S. Open finalist, exited to Belgium’s Raphael Collignon, shedding 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.
Fourth seed Taylor Fritz superior safely, beating South Africa’s Lloyd Harris 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2, 6-4, whereas American compatriot Frances Tiafoe, seeded 17, additionally progressed with a four-set defeat of qualifier Martin Damm. Tiafoe received 6-4, 7-5, 6-7 (8/10), 7-5.
Later Wednesday (August 27, 2025), Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz appears to be like to maintain his marketing campaign rolling with an evening recreation in opposition to Italy’s Mattia Bellucci.
Raducanu rolls on
Within the girls’s draw in the meantime, world primary Sabalenka additionally faces an evening recreation, taking over Russia’s Polina Kudermetova on Arthur Ashe.
In different matches on Wednesday (August 27, 2025), Britain’s Emma Raducanu continued her strong begin to the event after dispatching Indonesian qualifier Janice Tjen in straight units, profitable 6-2, 6-1.
Tjen had turn out to be the primary Indonesian participant to achieve the primary draw of a Grand Slam in 21 years and adopted that up with a primary spherical upset of twenty fourth seed Veronika Kudermetova.
However she was crushed comfortably by Raducanu, who’s aiming to recapture the U.S. Open title she received as an 18-year-old qualifier in 2021. Raducanu will face ninth seed Elena Rybakina within the subsequent spherical.
Whereas Tjen headed for the exit, one other participant from Southeast Asia, the Philippines’ Alexandra Eala, additionally noticed her event come to an finish.
Eala, the primary participant from the Philippines to win a Grand Slam singles match along with her defeat of 14th seed Clara Tauson on Sunday (August 24, 2025), was crushed 6-4, 6-3 by Spain’s Cristina Bucsa.
Fourth seed Jessica Pegula can also be into the third spherical after beating Russian Anna Blinkova 6-1, 6-3. There was a win too for veteran Victoria Azarenka, the 36-year-old two-time Australian Open champion from Belarus, who defeated Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-3, 6-3.
Revealed – August 28, 2025 04:22 am IST
