Novak Djokovic had previously endured quite a tough 2024, but it was all made worth it following his performance at the Olympics.
A reduced schedule had been cultivated with this event in mind, and despite a nasty meniscus injury suffered at Roland Garros threatening his presence, he returned to Paris to exorcise those demons and win gold for Serbia.
It marked the one outstanding accolade that remained absent from his trophy cabinet, and now that he has it, the 37-year-old has effectively completed tennis.
Although, there remains one final step he must take before he is widely recognised as the undisputed GOAT.
He could accomplish that feat in New York next week…
Novak Djokovic handed great US Open news
With 24 Grand Slam titles, he sits alongside Margaret Court for the most majors ever won, slightly ahead of Serena Williams and his contemporary rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Already he has cemented his remarkable legacy, but if he were to win one more Grand Slam, he would stand alone at the top.
No male or female could compete with his trophy cabinet, which now has Olympic gold as well as every Masters 1000 event trophy as well.
His efforts to accomplish this task as soon as possible in the upcoming US Open have been handed a huge boost too, with Carlos Alcaraz’s early exit from the Cincinnati Open seeing him drop down below Novak Djokovic in the world rankings once again.
So, with the defending champion set to be the second seed in New York now, it means not only will he not play Jannk Sinner before the final, but he will also not be able to play one of Alcaraz before the final too.
It could have been Alexander Zverev in that latter spot, thus setting up a semi-final showdown between Djokovic and his young Spanish rival, but the German was beaten by Sinner in the semi-finals in Cincinnati to ensure things stayed the same.
Djokovic’s chances are also boosted after hearing Alcaraz’s complaints about the Cincinnati courts, which are said to play similar to those at the US Open this year.
Could Novak Djokovic’s historic 25th Grand Slam be just around the corner?
So, with this boost in mind, Djokovic’s 25th Grand Slam title could now be just around the corner.
After all, he is arguably one of the most prolific hard-court players of all time, with the bulk of his majors coming at the Australian Open.
Not to mention that he is the defending champion in New York, which was the site of his record-equalling 24th title as well.
Clearly knowing how to deal with the pressure, and free from the constraints of his knee brace at last, Djokovic should come into this tournament supremely confident that either here, or in Melbourne, it could be time for the superb Serbian to step into a league of his own.
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