Twenty-four-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic made historical past at the Paris Masters, changing into the oldest participant to win a match in event historical past. The 39-year-old Serbian rallied previous Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-1 in the first spherical.
The 39-year-old dropped the opening set in a tiebreak and then fell behind by an early break in the second. Djokovic acquired remedy for a proper shoulder difficulty, while Vacherot had his left ankle wrapped. After saving three break factors at 4-4, Djokovic broke at 6-5 to seize the second set.
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Djokovic took control in the deciding set, rolling to a 6-1 victory. He will face Australia’s Rinky Hijikata in the second spherical.
“For an old guy, not so bad, huh?” Djokovic said. “People think that I am too old, too slow, but somehow I manage to find a way to win this kind of matches, especially ones that go the distance.”
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Djokovic entered the week eleventh in the Race to Turin as he pursued a spot in the ATP Finals, scheduled for Nov. 15-22. He wants to attain at least the Paris Masters semifinals to stay in rivalry, while successful the title would guarantee his qualification. An ATP 250 event in Stockholm stays after Paris.
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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Relive the motion of the 2026 US Open with dynamic photographs capturing the pace, energy, and ardour on the New York courts.
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates against Roman Safiullin during their Men’s Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Aug. 31, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
(Patrick Smith, Getty Images)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Relive the motion of the 2026 US Open with dynamic photographs capturing the pace, energy, and ardour on the New York courts.
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates against Roman Safiullin during their Men’s Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Aug. 31, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
(Patrick Smith, Getty Images)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Anouk Koevermans of Netherlands returns against Caty McNally of the United States during their Women’s Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Aug. 31, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
(Sarah Stier, Getty Images)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka serves to Colombia’s Camila Osorio during the ladies’s singles first spherical tennis match on day two of the US Open tennis event at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on Aug. 31, 2026.
(TIMOTHY A. CLARY, AFP via Getty Images)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
France’s Arthur Fils performs a forehand return against Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas during the males’s singles first spherical tennis match on day two of the US Open tennis event at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City on Aug. 31, 2026.
(KENA BETANCUR, AFP via Getty Images)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka have fun their victory over Colombia’s Camila Osorio during their ladies’s singles first spherical tennis match on day two of the US Open tennis event at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on Aug. 31, 2026.
(TIMOTHY A. CLARY, AFP via Getty Images)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Otto Virtanen of Finland returns against Andrey Rublev during their Men’s Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Aug. 31, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
(Matthew Stockman, Getty Images)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Aryna Sabalenka reacts against Camila Osorio of Colombia during their Women’s Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Aug. 31, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
(Patrick Smith, Getty Images)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Camila Osorio of Colombia serves against Aryna Sabalenka during their Women’s Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Aug. 31, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
(Patrick Smith, Getty Images)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Qinwen Zheng of China returns against Kristina Liutova during their Women’s Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Aug. 31, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
(Julian Finney, Getty Images)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Panna Udvardy of Hungary reacts against Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thailand during their Women’s Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Aug. 31, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
(Matthew Stockman, Getty Images)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Karolina Muchova of Czechia serves against Sinja Kraus of Austria during their Women’s Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Aug. 31, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
(Matthew Stockman, Getty Images)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Martin Landaluce of Spain returns a shot against Jacob Fearnley of Great Britain during their Men’s Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Aug. 31, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
(Sarah Stier, Getty Images)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Amanda Anisimova of the United States returns against Ashlyn Krueger of the United States during their Women’s Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Aug. 31, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
(Sarah Stier, Getty Images)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Ashlyn Krueger of the United States returns a shot against Amanda Anisimova of the United States during their Women’s Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Aug. 31, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
(Sarah Stier, Getty Images)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain returns a shot against Roman Safiullin during their Men’s Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Aug. 31, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
(Al Bello, Getty Images)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Harry Wendelken of Great Britain returns a shot against Luciano Darderi of Italy during their Men’s Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Aug. 31, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
(Julian Finney, Getty Images)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain returns a shot against Roman Safiullin during their Men’s Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Aug. 31, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
(Caleb Bowlin, Getty Images)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrates against Roman Safiullin during their Men’s Singles First Round match on Day Two of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Aug. 31, 2026 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
(Patrick Smith, Getty Images)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Aug. 30: Jessica Pegula of the U.S. in motion during her first spherical match against Romania’s Elena Gabriela Ruse. The US Open singles tournaments start Sunday in Flushing, New York, a likelihood for gamers to attain new rankings milestones in the ultimate Grand Slam of the calendar yr.
While Serena Williams is only enjoying doubles at Flushing Meadows, prime seed and two-time defending US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka leads a stacked ladies’s singles area that also consists of world No. 2 Elena Rybakina and the two top-ranked American ladies, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff.
(ROBERT DEUTSCH, IMAGN IMAGES via REUTERS)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Aug. 30: Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain returns against Jiri Lehecka of Czech Republic during their Men’s Singles First Round match on Day One of the 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.
(Sarah Stier, Getty Images)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Aug. 30: Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in motion during his first spherical match against France’s Hugo Gaston.
(Robert Deutsch, IMAGN IMAGES via REUTERS)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Aug. 30: General view during the first spherical match between Slovenia’s Veronika Erjavec and Italy’s Jasmine Paolini.
(Eduardo Munoz, REUTERS)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Aug. 30: Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka reacts during his first spherical match against Spain’s Pablo Carreno-Busta.
(GEOFF BURKE, IMAGN IMAGES via REUTERS)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Aug. 30: Italy’s Jasmine Paolini celebrates after successful her first spherical match against Slovenia’s Veronika Erjavec.
(Eduardo Munoz, REUTERS)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Aug. 30: Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse in motion during her first spherical match against Jessica Pegula of the U.S.
(Mike Segar, REUTERS)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Aug. 30: Slovenia’s Veronika Erjavec in motion during her US Open first spherical match against Italy’s Jasmine Paolini from Flushing Meadows, NY.
(Eduardo Munoz, REUTERS)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Aug. 30: Donna Vekic of Croatia returns a shot against Talia Gibson of Australia during their Women’s Singles First Round match on Day One.
(Al Bello, Getty Images)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Aug. 30: Adam Walton of Australia returns a shot against Yibing Wu of China during their Men’s Singles First Round match on Day One .
(Matthew Stockman, Getty Images)

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Unforgettable US Open 2026 tennis photographs from New York
Aug. 30: Slovenia’s Veronika Erjavec in motion during her first spherical match against Italy’s Jasmine Paolini.
(Eduardo Munoz, REUTERS)
This article initially appeared on USA TODAY: ‘People think I’m too previous’: Novak Djokovic solutions critics with historic win
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