Defending champion Novak Djokovic will be one of the favorites to win the US Open this season. The Serb will be vying for a 25th Grand Slam title, that would make the most successful singles Major player in tennis history.
Djokovic has not had the best of starts to 2024 as he did not win a single title before clinching the elusive Olympic gold. He also reached the Wimbledon final.
Despite recovering some of his lost form and being one of the favorites, let’s look at some of the obstacles the former World No.1 faced in his quest for the record-breaking title.
#1. The knee injury
Djokovic at the French Open
Djokovic at the French Open
Djokovic suffered a serious knee injury at the French Open. The Serb had to withdraw from his quarter-final match at Roland Garros, where he was the defending champion.
Djokovic had to undergo surgery, to repair a meniscal tear in his right knee, to come back on the Tour. The Serb recovered in record time as he thwarted most of the verdicts of pundits, and came back within a month, reaching the final at SW-19.
However, even at the Wimbledon final, it was seen that the Serb was not moving as well as he is renowned for. Even though a couple of months have passed, Djokovic will have to be at his physical best in order to come out on top in best of five-set matches on the faster courts of New York.
#2. No hard court tennis since March
Djokovic at the BNP Paribas Open
Djokovic at the BNP Paribas Open
The last hard-court tournament that Djokovic played in, was the BNP Paribas Open back in March, where he lost unexpectedly to Luca Nardi in the third round. The Serb skipped the subsequent Miami Open, and took some time off the tennis courts, mingling with the NBA community.
The World No.2 skipped both the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open, which traditionally have been the tune-up events for payers preceding the US Open. Djokovic has been a four-time champion at the Canadian Open and has bagged the Cincinnati Open title three times, including last year when he defeated Alcaraz in a marathon three-set match.
While it seems strange to think that something like this can affect someone of Djokovic’s experience and mentality, that’s just how intense the competition is.
#3. Tough Competition from the duo of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have taken over the ATP Tour this year, asserting their dominance. While the former won his maiden Major at the Australian Open and reached the No. 1 ranking, the latter became the youngest player to win the coveted double of French Open and Wimbledon, known as the Channel Slam.
Both Sinner and Alcaraz have proved themselves to be tough competitors for Djokovic. The Italian defeated the Serb in the Australian Open semi-final, ruining the latter’s perfect 10-0 record at AO semis. On the other hand, the Spaniard defeated Djokovic at the Wimbledon final for a successive year in straight sets. Since the 2021 US Open, this was the first time the Serb had lost a Major final in straight sets.
Alcaraz and Sinner are the favorites to win the upcoming US Open as well. However, the Serb leads the head-to-head against both his younger opponents by the margin of 4-3.
There are also others who can give Djokovic a run for his money at New York, like Daniil Medvedev, who already beat him once in a US Open final. There’s also Alexander Zverev, who has produced some good performances so far in 2024.