Novak Djokovic brushed off concerns about his fitness after the defending champion battled past Jerzy Janowicz in the first round of the US Open.

Novak Djokovic double-faulted, then shook his right arm and grimaced.

Seconds later on Monday night, a weak serve produced a wince from the US Open defending champion, then was followed by a missed forehand that gave away a set — the first set dropped by Djokovic in the first round of any grand slam tournament since 2010.

While he managed to emerge with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 victory over Jerzy Janowicz of Poland, there were plenty of signs of trouble, starting with a visit from a trainer who massaged Djokovic's bothersome arm after only five games.

Asked about his health during an on-court interview, Djokovic deflected the question, saying, "I don't think it's necessary to talk about this now. I'm through. I'm taking it day by day."

When the subject arose at his news conference, Djokovic again avoided addressing the topic, saying the trainer's visit "was just prevention; it's all good".

This was the No. 1-ranked Djokovic's first match at a major since losing to Sam Querrey in the third round of Wimbledon, which ended the Serb's bid for a calendar-year grand slam after titles at the Australian Open and French Open. The 12-time slam winner exited the Rio Olympics in the first round this month, then sat out the Cincinnati Masters because of a sore left wrist.

"After all I've been through in the last couple of weeks, it's pleasing, of course, to finish the match and win it," said Djokovic, who lost to his next opponent, Jiri Vesely, at Monte Carlo in April.

All in all, Djokovic's issues figure to loom large as the tournament progresses, and therefore amounted to the most noteworthy development at Flushing Meadows in New York, even if there were results of interest elsewhere.

Those included No. 8-seeded Madison Keys' 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2 comeback victory over 60th-ranked Alison Riske in the last match of the night. It finished at 1:48am, well after Keys took a medical timeout while a trainer worked on her right shoulder in the second set, and extended Riske's grand slam losing streak to 10 matches.

That was one of three intriguing all-American contests on Monday. The others were 20th-seeded John Isner's comeback from two sets down to edge 18-year-old Frances Tiafoe before a rowdy, standing-room-only crowd at the new Grandstand, and 26th-seeded Jack Sock's five-set victory over another 18-year-old, Taylor Fritz.

More drama, too: A first-round loss by Rio Olympics gold medalist Monica Puig, and French Open champion Garbine Muguruza's complaints about having trouble breathing after dropping the first set of a match she would go on to win in three.

Earlier in Arthur Ashe Stadium, Rafael Nadal stood near the net after winning his first grand slam match in three months — 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 against Denis Istomin — and unraveled the thick wrap of white tape protecting his all-important left wrist. He said he's still not back to hitting his forehand the way he does when he's at his best.

Nadal's afternoon match was played with the new US$150 million retractable roof open under a blue sky.

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