Everyone was rightfully nervous about how Novak Djokovic would play his first match at the US Open against Learner Tien, but the GOAT once again showed why the top spot belongs only to him. The greatest tennis player of all time advanced to the second round of the US Open, defeating the young American 6-1, 7-6 (7:3), 6-2.
It took some time for Novak Djokovic to shake the rust off his racket after a six-week break. Let’s remember, he played his last match in the Wimbledon semifinals in mid-July, and Learner Tien, a guy who gets to every ball, was not an ideal opponent to start the US Open.
However, even while battling the heat and blisters that forced him to take a medical timeout, Novak Djokovic managed to win on Arthur Ashe and advance to the second round. Djokovic defeated Tien 6-1, 7-6 (7:3), 6-2. The literal translation of the name Learner is “one who wants to learn.” Tien wanted to play Djokovic, and his wish came true, but the expert gave him some homework, so he’ll have to train more to catch up. Novak isn’t the best in history for nothing.
In the first game of the first set, Djokovic secured an immediate break, making it clear to Tien that he would dictate most of the match. The scoreboard quickly read 3-0 for Djokovic, and after just 24 minutes of play, it was 6-1 for the Serbian star.
Then came the second set and what everyone expected—Tien raised his level of play. He started hitting everything he missed in the first set and began causing problems for Nole, who was struggling to move and was having a harder time breathing.
Proficient against Learner 😤 pic.twitter.com/rbae1AR61h
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 25, 2025
Djokovic missed a break point in the first and fifth games and then, out of nowhere in the sixth, had to save three consecutive break points. He managed to escape and leveled the score at 3-3 at that point.
In the ninth game, Nole had another break point but couldn’t convert it, and in the next game, he managed to save a set point. If he hadn’t saved it, it would have been an extremely long night on Ashe. Still, he managed to push the set into a tiebreak. After winning the point for 3-2, Novak couldn’t catch his breath. He received another time violation warning and lost his first serve. He lost that point, and the changeover came with the score at 3-3, with neither player having won their serve.
The short break was good for Nole, who managed to win that part of the match and immediately called for a timeout due to blisters on his foot.
The next set started with a break from Tien, which angered Djokovic so much that he immediately broke back. For the rest of the set, he routinely sent the boy who wants to learn to get more practice.
In his next match, Djokovic will once again face an American, this time Zachary Svajda. The match is scheduled for Wednesday.
Source: Sportal; Photo: Profimedi/Imagn Images/ddp US