The battle of the Serbians captivated the crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday night in what showed No. 2 Novak Djokovic is actually human.

But in the end, Djokovic still was victorious, beating out unseeded Laslo Djere 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3 in what was a three-hour and 45 minute show-stopping win in the third round of the U.S. Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Djere, 28, had a two-set lead on the 23-time Grand Slam champion.

It was the first time Djokovic had to dig out of a two-set hole since his quarterfinal win over Jannik Sinner in the 2022 Wimbledon quarterfinals.

“Well, I would say two different matches — the first two sets and then the last three, but the score line maybe doesn’t do justice,” the second-seeded Djokovic said after the win. “For the third and fourth, I think it was much closer than 6-1, 6-1, I thought he played terrific. I’ve honestly never seen him play like this. He was feeling the ball extremely well. Everything was kind of in his striking zone.He was tactically prepared very well. He started off the match very very good.”

Though many fans consider Djokovic the “GOAT” of tennis, he looked more vulnerable than he did in his crushing five-set loss to No. 1 Carlos Alcarez in their thrilling Wimbledon final a few weeks ago.

As for Djere, he has won just two titles throughout his professional career since 2013, winning two clay tournaments — Rio de Janeiro and Sardinia.

“He was far more comfortable than me,” Djokovic said. “I was defending mostly in the first two sets and to be honest, of course, I could have and should have played better, on a higher level than these two sets, but huge credit to him for making me uncomfortable on the court and playing really some of the best tennis that I’ve ever seen him play.”

The U.S. Open crowd seemed to be torn between the two players, rooting for a big upset one second and then for the legendary Djokovic the next.

Those who stayed for the match that spanned into Thursday morning got to see an impressive comeback.

In the third set, Djokovic rallied to hold Djere to a single game and the fourth set was another plagued with extensive and exhausting volleys.

Djere had arguably the shot of the match with a backhand slice down the line that looked practically impossible to make in the fourth set, but in the end Djokovic found a way again to win a tight match.

He outlasted.

“I’m not sure I have a mental edge from two sets down but maybe…. I feel like I raised my level and was reading his game slightly better in the third and fourth and fifth than I had in the first two sets,” Djokovic said. “And I think I served well when I needed to, especially in the fifth because it was only one break. He had a breakpoint to come back to the match. It was a nerve wracking last game, but yeah, just so relieved to get through this one.”

In the final set, Djokovic continued his tear and tired out Djere, who still had great shots and proven stamina, but not enough to pass the the star known as the Djoker.

Djokovic sealed the victory in a tight ninth game deuce, concluding with a wide shot from Djere.

On Sunday, Djokovic will face unseeded Borna Gojo of Croatia, 25, who turned pro in 2020.

A five-set match for Djokovic this early in the tournament is rare and unwanted, but he was happy to advance.

“I’m still able to play five sets deep at night and coming from two sets down always sends a strong message to the future opponents,” he said. “But at the same time, I’m not really wanting to be in this position, to be honest. I prefer a straight set win. Hopefully I can get back on that track in the next match.”