Novak Djokovic suffered a scare in more ways than one Thursday evening at the Australian Open. However, the nine-time champion persevered to reach the third round at Melbourne Park.

Despite struggling with his left leg, which was wrapped, the Serbian clawed past Frenchman Enzo Couacaud 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-0. Djokovic appeared in difficulty after losing the second-set tie-break, but immediately refocussed to charge through the rest of the match after three hours and four minutes.

“There was a lot happening in tonight’s match,” Djokovic said. “He deserves credit for the fight. He played some great tennis, especially in the second set. He deservedly pushed the match to four sets. We both had some medical timeouts and struggled a little bit but I managed to respond well in the third and fourth. I love playing night sessions. Let’s keep it going.”

The Serbian is chasing a record-tying 22nd Grand Slam trophy this fortnight and will reclaim No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings if he wins the title. The 35-year-old will keep his focus directly in front of him, though, with former World No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov looming in the third round.

There were moments in the match against Couacaud when advancing did not seem a sure thing. As the second set wore on, Djokovic became more hampered by his left hamstring injury. Playing with heavy strapping, the fourth seed winced after stretching for a ball at 4-4, calling for a medical timeout when trailing 4-5.

His movement was clearly compromised and Couacaud took full advantage, swinging freely and embracing the crowd at Melbourne Park. When Djokovic let slip the second set in a tie-break, it was unclear how his body would react for the rest of the match.

But the Serbian never panicked. Instead, he locked in and improved physically, winning 12 of the match’s final 14 games.

World No. 191 Couacaud put forth a courageous effort in his first match against a Top 10 opponent. But once Djokovic’s movement improved in the third set, the Frenchman was unable to respond.

“It is expected when you walk on the court as favourite and you play someone on this stage for the first time, of course they are going to go for their shots,” Djokovic said. “You just accept it. I had many opportunities in the second to win it and I didn’t. He pushed it to a third and fourth set and you just have to deal with it.

“Sometimes the situations don’t go your way but that is sport. I have been in these situations before, so many times in my life and career, so I think that also helps, the experience of understanding what you need to do in the moment to give your best.”

Djokovic now holds a 7-0 record on the season, having captured his 92nd tour-level title in Adelaide earlier this month. It was at the ATP 250 where Djokovic hurt his leg in the semi-finals against Daniil Medvedev.

Djokovic’s next opponent, Dimitrov, defeated Laslo Djere 6-3, 6-2, 6-0. The former World No. 1 leads their ATP Head2Head series 9-1.

When Jenson Brooksby walks onto Rod Laver Arena to take on World No. 3 Casper Ruud on Thursday at the Australian Open, he’ll have to battle if he is to earn his second Top 5 win.

Thankfully, the American will be ready to do just that.

“I’m feeling pretty good right now,” Brooksby told ATPTour.com. “I’ve been working on getting tougher mentally. We put in more hours in the gym as well with the strength and also with the cardio too. I lost a little bit of that toughness last year from my training. So I think that’s something that is going to be key.

“I am really starting to push harder in some areas and I feel like I’m in a good spot to, mentally and especially physically, go well and push myself to the limit.”

Brooksby gave fans a glimpse into the competitor he is at the 2021 US Open, where he pushed Novak Djokovic to four sets in a physical fourth-round encounter in New York. The American gave a good account of himself against the former World No. 1, hiding the face that it was just the seventh tour-level event Brooksby had played in his career.

Since then, the World No. 39 has gained further experience. He reached tour-level finals in Dallas and Atlanta last year, while he also earned his maiden Top 5 win against Stefanos Tsitsipas en route to the fourth round in Indian Wells in 2022.

“I think the experiences I had on the Tour last year will really help as long as you learn from them. I think that they will be really beneficial in big moments this year,” Brooksby said. “Most of the tournaments I’ve been to, so I’ll know how to handle the different situations that it can present. Last year in Europe I was gone for 11 weeks in a row and I’d never been gone more than like four weeks. That now helps for Australia, just knowing how to adjust.”

Thursday’s second-round meeting against Ruud will provide another opportunity for the American to test himself on the biggest stage. Brooksby’s journey to this moment began 15 years ago. At the age of seven, his father, Glen, who named his son after Formula 1 driver Jenson Button, put Brooksby into tennis lessons.

From the age of 12, he began homeschooling and stopped playing other sports, with tennis his primary focus. With his father a constant support, Brooksby will be aiming to make him proud when he takes to court against Ruud.

“He’s been a huge part,” Brooksby said on his father. “He was able to get me lessons from my coach since I was seven years old. I was able to have lessons five days a week and he worked hard to get where he is today. I hope I can make him proud with what I’m doing as well, and I’m just grateful for all the opportunities that he’s been able to give me.”

Brooksby, who is making his debut in Melbourne, defeated Christopher O’Connell in four sets to reach the second round. If he can upset Ruud, he will book his spot in the third round at a major for the fourth time.

Having seen 19-year-old Carlos Alcaraz defeat the Norwegian in the 2022 US Open final, Brooksby can turn to that as motivation as he aims to fight for every ball.

“I just want to have looked back after matches knowing that I worked my hardest and did everything I could, and then really from then I can just see how much I can progress. I am very motivated seeing those younger guys have the success. It makes me believe I can do the exact same thing, and if not better.”

Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Madison Keys and Jessica Pegula have made fast starts at the Australian Open, with the quartet dropping just three sets between them in seven matches.

It follows their success at the United Cup earlier this month, when the ATP and WTA stars joined forces to guide Team United States to the title at the inaugural mixed-teams event.

Throughout the 11-day tournament, the Americans shared jokes about being locked-in on court as they built a strong team dynamic in Sydney. Now in Melbourne, the quartet continues to support each other, with Fritz and Pegula drawing locks on the camera following wins at the major.

“[You] just have to stay locked. It’s the whole thing with the United Cup guys. Just staying locked in,” said Tiafoe, who explained the term ‘locked’ as being ‘in the zone’. “I made a joke about it with the guys at the United Cup asking them before the match, ‘Are you locked?’ It’s definitely become a thing. It’s so funny how true it is because staying between the lines, it’s amazing how well you play. It’s a funny thing with everybody.”

For ur information i was trying to draw a 🔒 emoji…. I just forgot the very important fact that I suck at drawing

— Taylor Fritz (@Taylor_Fritz97) January 17, 2023

Tiafoe is known on and off court for his energetic and relaxed personality. However, it was the 24-year-old who pushed the term ‘locked’ at the United Cup, sparking laughter from his teammates.

“It’s funny coming from me because everyone knows how I go about my business. I’m very open and just joking around. When I’m saying it, it just sounds funny,” Tiafoe said. “So then it became a thing where if Frances can lock, everyone has got to lock. That’s kind of how it all came around…We’re all doing well, and it’s becoming a good team camaraderie.”

Keys earned five wins at the United Cup at the start of the season and has backed that up in Melbourne, advancing to the third round.

The 27-year-old feels the mixed-teams event was the perfect way to begin her year.

“I think I speak for everyone, it was truly the best two weeks of my whole life. It was so much fun,” Keys said. “Obviously winning is the cherry on top and all of that. To have the seven other amazing people and then all of our teams together, it was just a really great group of people. I think it was the perfect way to start the year.

“We had so much fun. I’m really happy that we’ve continued to talk literally every single day. We still have meals together and all of that. So I think just carrying that over outside of the event has been really great for all of us.”