Djokovic overcame injury to surpass Federer and make new history; after the match, he joked about his injury, saying: "Young and strong."

After the match against British player Norrie, Djokovic’s determination to compete while injured was truly inspiring, and it once again demonstrated the Serbian champion’s record-collecting power!

Facing Norrie in the US Open third round, considering Djokovic’s flawless record against the Brit previously, nearly everyone expected the Serbian star to move on easily; the unknown was just how many sets it would take.

However, near the end of the first set, an unexpected incident involving Djokovic suddenly made fans and viewers in the live broadcast nervous.

At that moment, after Djokovic executed a volley at the net, he suddenly clutched his waist with a pained expression, causing worry among everyone watching. The situation worsened when he called for a medical timeout, instantly heightening the tension in the live stream. Some remarked that if he was injured at this point, winning the match would become extremely difficult, and the dream of his 25th Grand Slam title might be completely dashed. With Djokovic turning 39 next year, many felt he could essentially give up on that goal.

Fortunately, despite this frightening moment that scared everyone, Djokovic still managed to take the first set 6-4.

Although after the medical timeout Djokovic’s expression appeared normal, his confidence in both forehand and backhand shots was clearly lacking in the second set, a noticeable change that made people worry he might be overturned by Norrie.

When the two entered a tiebreak in the second set, Norrie’s performance clearly surpassed Djokovic’s, causing the Serbian star’s die-hard fans in the live stream to nervously say they were “so tense their nails were digging into their palms,” fearing Djokovic couldn’t suppress the Brit’s momentum and that the match could suddenly shift.

With Norrie prevailing in the tiebreak to even the match score, everyone in the live stream lost their earlier confidence and changed their outlook from a certain Djokovic win to a 50-50 chance.

However, some believed that as long as Djokovic could overcome his injury troubles and dominate Norrie in the third set, it would be extremely difficult for the Brit to claim revenge by knocking the Serbian star out. “If the third set is lost as well, then we can only wait for an upset to happen.”

The saying “experience makes one wiser” proved true! Despite playing injured, Djokovic’s fighting spirit from the third set onwards not only remained undiminished but grew even stronger than in the first two sets. After the Serbian star sealed the set at 6-2, most worries about him faded, because with Djokovic serving for the set, it was very unlikely Norrie could win two consecutive sets to overturn the match unless Djokovic’s injury was extremely serious and fate favored the Brit’s upset.

People’s guesses were correct: under intense pressure, it was indeed hard for Norrie to easily shake Djokovic.

When Djokovic took a 3-0 lead in the fourth set, the outcome of the match was effectively decided. From then on, Djokovic gave Norrie no chance, closing out the set 6-3 and handing the Brit his seventh straight loss.

After the match, everyone praised Djokovic’s incredible performance — playing so passionately despite injury, once again turning into a record-breaking machine, “definitely deserving a little red flower.”

With this victory over Norrie, Djokovic reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the 69th time, equaling the record previously set by Swiss legend Federer.

Additionally, this win brought Djokovic’s hard-court Grand Slam match victories to 192, surpassing Federer, the previous record holder. Whether anyone will surpass Djokovic in this record in the future remains uncertain, but for now, the Serbian star stands alone as the leader in this category.

After the match, fans and netizens humorously commented that Djokovic has now equaled one of Federer’s records and surpassed another, leaving everyone eager to see which Swiss legend’s record he will break next.

However, the main focus after the match remained Djokovic’s injury, with many eager to know whether it would affect his pursuit of a 25th Grand Slam title. With the tournament past its halfway point and opponents growing tougher, the challenge to advance increases. If Djokovic is seriously injured at this crucial stage, fate would be incredibly harsh on him.

“During the match, I did experience some ups and downs, but I feel my body is still as young and strong as before. Tonight’s serving was my best performance, and I’m pleased with how I played. Thanks to the fans for their support; sometimes facing challenges is a good thing,” Djokovic said humorously after the match when asked about his medical timeout and injury, reassuring everyone that his body is fine and there’s no need to worry — a comfort to all who care about the Serbian star.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moonlight River’s Starry Sky)