But he was more than a match for 138th-ranked Albot, breaking the Moldovan six times on the way to a 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 victory.
He notched a men's record 78th match win on Arthur Ashe Stadium, where he said the "electric" energy of the night session was unlike any other.
"There's an incredible energy, and with the new rule this year that the crowd can move around, there are a lot of things happening," the four-time champion said.