India, Aug. 25 -- The 6-1, 7-6(3), 6-2 scoreline in Novak Djokovic's favour may not tell the full story, as the real takeaway from his US Open first-round win over American teen Learner Tien was the Serb's visible physical struggles and clumsy footwork.

Playing his first match in more than six weeks since a Wimbledon semifinal defeat to Jannik Sinner, the 38-year-old repeatedly looked towards his box for technical advice in the early stages. In the second set, he suffered a clumsy fall while stretching wide for a Tien serve, and soon after required on-court treatment from ATP physio Clay Sniteman for a bloodied big toe. For much of the opening two sets, Djokovic also appeared troubled by a hip issue, bent over with hands on knees, and ev...