Federer won six Australian Opens and five US Opens during his career. Djokovic holds the record with 10 Australian Open titles and four US Open titles. These two are the most successful hard-court players in the Open Era.

Djokovic during his second-round match against Svajda at the US Open, on Arthur Ashe Stadium, New York, 27/8. Photo: Reuters

Djokovic during his second-round match against Svajda at the US Open, on Arthur Ashe Stadium, New York, 27/8. Photo: Reuters

Djokovic’s second-round victory on 27/8 didn’t come easy. Qualifier Svajda challenged him in the first set. Lingering effects from a torn toenail suffered in the first-round match against Learner Tien hampered Djokovic's movement, causing him to lose balance and disrupting his usual rhythm.

Not only did Djokovic lose the first set, but he also had to fight back from a 1-3 deficit in the third. His experience and Svajda’s injury allowed Djokovic to dominate the remainder of the match, securing the win after two hours and 34 minutes. Svajda struggled with pain from the end of the second set, resulting in an average serve speed of only 145 km/h.

"I didn't feel great," Djokovic admitted after the match. "It was a frustrating start, but I have to give credit to Svajda for playing some great tennis. It was unfortunate that he got injured. I told him he was playing really well when we shook hands at the end".

This is Djokovic's 75th Grand Slam third-round appearance, surpassing Federer's record of 74. He will advance to the fourth round if he defeats Cameron Norrie in the next match. Norrie recently lost to Djokovic in the Geneva Open semi-final and the fourth round of the French Open.

Also in Djokovic’s quarter of the draw are fourth seed Taylor Fritz and 21st seed Tomas Machac, who defeated rising star Joao Fonseca in straight sets in the second round. Carlos Alcaraz, a potential semi-final opponent for Djokovic, continues to play exceptionally well, losing only four games in his second-round match against Mattia Bellucci (6-1, 6-0, 6-3).

"It’s a long way to go and you never know what’s going to happen," Djokovic added regarding his goal of winning a fifth US Open title. "I’m relieved but not overly joyful. I need to work on a few things and hopefully, it will get better match by match."

Notable second-round matches at the US Open today:

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