Novak Djokovic overcame Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-0 in the U.S. Open first round on Tuesday in punishing temperatures that prompted officials to observe a heat rule for men’s singles matches for the first time.
The players took a 10-minute break between the third and fourth sets to help them cope with temperatures climbing above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius).
The pair, who were not allowed to speak to their coaches during the break, spent the downtime side-by-side, “naked in the ice baths,” Djokovic said in a post-match broadcast interview.
“It was quite a magnificent feeling, I must say,” he added.
After claiming the first set, a visibly exhausted Djokovic smashed his racket as Fucsovics led 3-2 in the second. In between the action, both players draped themselves in ice towels and at one point Djokovic sat shirtless in his seat.
“I was obviously hoping and praying that I’ll get to feel better as the match progresses,” Djokovic told reporters after the match.
“Obviously I felt better, especially after that 10-minute break. For the first three sets, it was a survival mode for both of us.”
The Serb came roaring back in the third set, clawing his way from 3-1 down before sweeping Fucsovics in the fourth.
“I had to find a way to dig myself out of the trouble,” Djokovic said.
“I think that was a turning point. 4-3 in the third when he was serving, I managed to play a good game.”
Djokovic was back at the U.S. Open for the first time since 2016 after claiming his fourth Wimbledon title this year and completing a sweep of Masters series events.
Men’s Singles
Results: Day 2
No. 2 Roger Federer def. Yoshihito Nishioka, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4
No. 4 Alexander Zverev def. Peter Polansky, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2
No. 6 Novak Djokovic def. Marton Fucsovics, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0
No. 7 Marin Cilic def. Marius Copil, 7-5, 6-1, 1-1 (ret.)
No. 10 David Goffin def. Federico Gaio, 6-2, 6-4, 7-6(5)
No. 12 Pablo Carreno Busta def. Malek Jaziri, 7-5, 6-2, 6-2
No. 13 Diego Schwartzman def. Federico Delbonis, 6-2, 7-6(6), 6-2
No. 14 Fabio Fognini def. Michael Mmoh, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, 7-6(4)
No. 17 Lucas Pouille def. Yannick Maden, 7-6(6), 6-2, 7-5
No. 21 Kei Nishikori def. Maximilian Marterer, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3
Julien Benneteau def. No. 22 Marco Cecchinato, 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-3, 6-4
No. 23 Hyeon Chung def. Ricardas Berankis, 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-0, 6-2
No. 26 Richard Gasquet def. Yuichi Sugita, 6-3, 6-1, 6-3
Frances Tiafoe def. No. 29 Adrian Mannarino, 6-1, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
No. 30 Nick Kyrgios def. Radu Albot, 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
Matthew Ebden def. No. 32 Filip Krajinovic, 7-6(1), 6-7(5), 4-6, 6-1, 4-1 (ret.)
Gael Monfils def. Facundo Bagnis, 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-0, 6-0
John Millman def. Jenson Brooksby, 6-4, 6-2, 6-0
Marcos Baghdatis def. MIkhail Youzhny, 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 3-1 (ret.)
MIkhail Kukushkin def. Noah Rubin, 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 7-6(3)
Benoit Paire def. Dennis Novak, 7-6(6), 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(5)
Joao Sousa def. Marcel Granollers, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3
Tennys Sandgren def. Viktor Troicki, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
Philipp Kohlschreiber def. Yannick Hanfmann, 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-4, 6-4
Jan-Lennard Struff def. Tim Smyczek, 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-3
Robin Haase def. Mackenzie McDonald, 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 1-6, 3-6
Alex de Minaur def. Taro Daniel, 6-0, 6-1, 6-2
Hubert Hurkacz def. Stefano Travaglia, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(6), 3-0 (ret.)
Jaume Munar def. Ruben Bemelmans, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-1
Nicolas Mahut def. Corentin Moutet, 6-2, 7-5, 5-7, 6-4
Pierre-Hugues Herbert def. Yuki Bhambri, 6-3, 7-6(3), 7-5
Laslo Djere def. Leonardo Mayer, 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 2-1 (ret.)
Schedule: Day 3
No. 1 Rafael Nadal vs. Vasek Pospisil
No. 3 Juan Martin del Potro vs. Denis Kudla
No. 5 Kevin Anderson vs. Jeremy Chardy
No. 9 Dominic Thiem vs. Steve Johnson
No. 11 John Isner vs. Nicolas Jarry
No. 15 Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Daniil Medvedev
No. 18 Jack Sock vs. Nikoloz Basilashvili
No. 20 Borna Coric vs. Roberto Carballes Baena
No. 25 Milos Raonic vs. Gilles Simon
No. 27 Karen Khachanov vs. Lorenzo Sonego
No. 29 Denis Shapovalov vs. Andreas Seppi
No. 31 Fernando Verdasco vs. Andy Murray
Ugo Humbert vs. Stan Wawrinka
Cameron Norrie vs. Dusan Lajovic
Taylor Ftiz vs. Jason Kubler
Guido Pella vs. Paolo Lorenzi