Novak Djokovic is lacing up in preparation to defy the odds once more and clinch an astonishing 25th grand slam title just months after knee surgery.
The 37-year-old underwent surgery on a torn medial meniscus in June after he was forced to withdraw from his French Open quarter-final.
Djokovic recovered remarkably well to reach the Wimbledon final but put in a lackluster performance to hand Carlos Alcaraz his second successive title at SW19.
However, the Serb bounced back at the Olympics in August to claim a gold medal – the missing piece in the proverbial puzzle that is his illustrious career and is now on the verge of more history at this year’s US Open.
What did Taylor Fritz say about Novak Djokovic?
Novak Djokovic is arriving in New York as the reigning champion, in search of a grand slam title that would pull him clear of Margaret Court at the top of the standings.
In stark contrast, American number one Taylor Fritz is bidding for his first major title at Flushing Meadows, but this didn’t stop him from praising the Serb’s remarkable achievements.
“It’s crazy to win that many [majors] and be that consistently good,” Fritz said in his pre-tournament press conference. “Your baseline average level has to be so much better than everyone else.
“It speaks to how much better someone is than everyone else. There are so many people trying to get that one, trying to get one or two.
“It’s amazing and the discipline throughout the years to never be satisfied and always want more is extremely impressive in itself.”
Is Djokovic the favorite for the US Open?
Djokovic was given good news when he glanced at the US Open draw to find out that he would be able to avoid grand slam champions Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev until the final.
However, danger could still await in the fourth round for Djokovic, with in-form Americans Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton posing significant threats.
Either way, it’s a relatively clear path to the final for the 24-time major champion and he will fancy his chances if he can remain fit.
He opens his campaign against qualifier Radu Albot on Monday.
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