US Open: rusty Novak Djokovic kicks off grand slam record bid with Radu Albot thrashing
- New Olympic champion kicks off bid for 25th major title as Coco Gauff makes solid start to her defence and Dominic Thiem says farewell
Novak Djokovic’s bid for a record 25th grand slam title kicked off on Monday (US time) with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 win over qualifier Radu Albot in the US Open first round as the defending champion returned to the court after his Olympic triumph.
Three weeks after winning the singles title at the Paris Games – the last significant achievement that was missing from his resume – Djokovic capped the evening session under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Earlier, women’s defending champion Coco Gauff also enjoyed a comfortable first-round win while Dominic Thiem bid a final farewell to the grand slam where he enjoyed his greatest triumph.
Again wearing a grey sleeve over his surgically repaired right knee, 37-year-old Djokovic struggled with serve and racked up almost twice as many unforced errors as winners.
However, the No 2 seed – who tied Roger Federer with his 89th win at the US Open – had more than enough weapons to handle the Moldovan journeyman in their first tour clash.
Djokovic improved to 18-0 in first-round matches at Flushing Meadows and is now 89-13 overall at the hard-court tournament, which he has won four times, including a year ago.
