Taylor Fritz Explains the Difficulties of Playing Novak Djokovic Ahead of Their Classic US Open Clash

Taylor Fritz is the only American man in the 2025 US Open and holds the weight of expectations to become the first man from his country to win a major singles title since Andy Roddick at Flushing Meadows in 2003. But he must get past Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals to keep that dream alive.

The 2024 finalist has an abysmal record against Djokovic, having never beaten the Serbian legend and having only won three sets against him. He holds a 0-10 head-to-head record against Djokovic on tour and 0-7 on hard courts. The last time he faced the 38-year-old was at the 2024 Shanghai Masters, where he lost to Djokovic 4-6, 6(6)-7 in the semi-final.

However, with his current form at the 2025 US Open, Fritz is seeking to win his first match against Djokovic. The World No.4 has been performing at his best on the court, and following the exit of fellow American men Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe, and Tommy Paul, he earned a statement victory against Tomas Machac in the fourth round.

He hit 30 winners against the Czech Republic star, including 14 aces, and was never broken. Fritz also coughed up only 18 unforced errors and won 91 percent of his first-serve points. He overcame the 21 seed 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in just an hour and thirty-eight minutes at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in New York.

During his post-match press conference, he was asked why he has never been able to win against Djokovic on tour. The No.4 seed revealed that Djokovic uses an excellent serving technique anytime they meet on the court. He added that at their last meeting at the Shanghai Masters, he would have won the second set.

The last time we played, I think it was in Shanghai, I had opportunities, I had set points in the second set. I should have won the second set, taken it to the third set. What makes it difficult is that he serves well, is aggressive on second serves. It is difficult to take advantage of your serve because of how well he returns and hits from the baseline. He backs it up incredibly well with his serve, so sometimes it is difficult to overcome him as he does with his returns.

During the start of Djokovic’s career, his serve was an apparent weakness on the court, but in recent years, he has made it his lethal weapon. The former World No.1 always employs his tricky serves against opponents who are more physical than he is. He did so against Cameron Norrie in the third round, winning 83 percent of his first-serve points and hitting 18 aces, his personal best at the US Open.

Novak Djokovic expects a tough battle against Taylor Fritz at the US Open

Novak Djokovic ended the run of German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff in the fourth round of the US Open. Struff had stunned Holger Rune and Frances Tiafoe en route to the fourth round, but against Djokovic, he couldn’t do much. Djokovic brushed past him 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 in less than two hours to reach his record 64th Grand Slam quarter-finals.