Novak Djokovic, as has been the case for as long as many can remember, goes into this US Open as one of the outstanding favourites to win the whole thing.
As the defending champion, many would have already handed him the title in the past, but 2024 has been an odd one for the legendary veteran, and he is actually without an ATP title.
His sole triumph, and the only one that mattered to him, came in the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he finally won that coveted gold.
He now has a chance to create even more history in New York…
Novak Djokovic left stunned by US Open crowd
Speaking to ESPN after his first-round triumph over Radu Albot, Novak Djokovic was asked about the match and the wider competition.
Naturally, it is a long two-week process to reach a Grand Slam final, and few know about that more than the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
So many factors come into play, including the crowd of course, which he spoke about in length during this interview: ‘Tonight it was a bit of a slower start but as we went deeper into the match and into the night I think the crowd really wanted to entertain themselves and have fun.
‘There was a couple of great points. I tried to put them on their feet. It was fun. It always is special. An electric atmosphere. New York is one of the best cities in the world, the city that never sleeps, the crowd comes from all over the world to support tennis players and this marvellous tennis tournament. It is one of the four majors and the four most important tournaments we have in our sport. The history and everything you can feel it.
‘But it keeps on surprising me, getting even better and better each year I keep coming back. As I say, I love playing night sessions, these are by far my favourite night sessions here at Arthur Ashe Stadium.’
Praise for fans will be a welcome change for the defending champion, especially after Djokovic complained about the crowd at Wimbledon.
Novak Djokovic looked a little shaky at times in first-round US Open win
As the commentary team noted on occasion throughout the match, Djokovic did not seem completely balanced throughout his win over Albot.
That is, despite the 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 scoreline suggesting a mauling.
The Moldovan certainly held his own throughout, and missed out on a few big opportunities to disrupt the 37-year-old with silly mistakes that let Djokovic off the hook.
Naturally, these would not have impacted the result too dramatically, but it remains a point to be made.
Also, the Serbian’s serving also drew scrutiny, with the pundits questioning his ball toss and arguing that it was regularly too far in front of him, causing him to once again lean in and serve unbalanced.
A disappointing 47% first serve percentage perfectly outlines this, as well as ten double faults.
Having played no hard-court tennis in the run-up to this US Open, a slow start was expected from Djokovic, but he will really have to ramp up his performances if he is to claim Grand Slam number 25 in New York.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
