Novak Djokovic is preparing his bid for a 25th grand slam title at the US Open after winning Olympic gold in Paris.
To be honest, Novak Djokovic should reasonably be able to pack it all in, retire the rackets, and wear his Olympic gold medal forever.
Indeed that’s what pretty much what he has been doing for the past few weeks and arguably he could just stop while on top – something rarely ever achieved in professional sport.
Having elected not to defend his 1000 points in Cincinnati this week, Djokovic will be arriving fresh in New York with no matches under his belt since the Olympics.
As the defending champion and potentially facing the first year since 2010 where he’s not won at least one major title, the Serb is keen to continue adding to his trophy cabinet.
Laura Robson issues warning to Novak Djokovic after a distracted few weeks
Currently level with Margaret Court on 24 grand slam titles, Djokovic will be keen to further increase distance from previous greats as he seeks to solidify his legacy as the best of all time.
However, with Jannik Sinner’s Cincinnati triumph showing a rise in from, Djokovic’s lack of match-time on the hard courts has raised alarm bells for Laura Robson.
She told Sky Sports: “The 25th Grand Slam doesn’t feel too far away for Novak, but he’s on a well-earned break and I think we will need to see if he even wants to show up at the US Open. He’s achieved something that he’s described as the pinnacle of his sporting career, so I think it’s quite hard to reset after that.
“We know he can win it! We absolutely know he can do it, but whether he wants to come back so soon is the challenge. How can anything live up to that moment of winning the medal you’ve always wanted? Then to see his homecoming in Serbia and to see the reaction that he’s had from the public. It will be tough to arrive in New York raring to go!”
Will Novak Djokovic be ready for the US Open?
Having crashed out or Roland Garros in June and subsequently undergoing knee surgery, Djokovic’s Olympic triumph becomes even more remarkable.
Having worn a knee support throughout the summer, Djokovic was spotted training without the brace earlier this week.
The current French open and Wimbledon champion, Carlos Alcaraz, half-remains the favorite to complete a hat-trick at the US Open despite his premature exit and atypical-Alcaraz outburst against Gael Monfils in Cincinnati.
History tells us however to simply never count Djokovic out and with the courts allegedly playing slightly slower in New York, I think we may well see the well-rested Serb challenging again.
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