US Open: Novak Djokovic writes history about achieving another quarter finals; To meet Taylor Fritz next

Novak Djokovic feared with a big early lead in his US Open Fourth round game on Sunday evening when his neck started to bother him. That did not stop Djokovic from the 144th qualifying match Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 to dominate his record 64th Grand Slam Quarterfinal.

Djokovic wrote history at the age of 38 to become the oldest man who reached the quarterfinals in all four Grand Slams in one season.

Djokovic led 4-0, 15-Love when he hit a nice angular volley winner to rise 30 love in that game. The 24-way Grand SLAM champion immediately grabbed the back of his neck and started turning his head.

The 38-year-old Djokovic kept trying to stretch his neck or bend his right shoulder between points, and he went to drop that game and the next one. But he soon got the upper hand against Struff, who defeated Frances Tiafoe in the previous round and tried to come to a large quarter finals for the first time.

After improving 8-0 against Struff, Djokovic is now wearing a 10-0 head-to-head record in his quarterfinals by 2024 US Open Runner-Up Taylor Fritz on Tuesday.

The no. 4-class Fritz, the last American man in the bracket, moved to the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 victory on Sunday against no. 21 Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic.

After Djokovic had completed that opening set against Struff, he was visited by a Trainer for Treatment during the subsequent switch. Djokovic received a massage on his neck and shoulder.

If he was still uncomfortable, his game was not really influenced at all. During the break after that set, Djokovic had massaged his right forearm. But again, there were no signs of problems when the ball was in the game.

Djokovic also let trainers work on him earlier in the tournament, including for blisters on a foot in the first round and for a lowerback problem in the third.

He won four championships in New York, most recently in 2023.