Novak Djokovic is the reigning champion at the 2024 US Open and will be tasked with defending 2000 points, the most of any player at the year’s last Grand Slam. The Serb won his fourth US Open title last year after having claimed it in 2011, 2015, and 2018.
Djokovic was seeded second at the 2023 US Open and defeated Alexandre Muller, Bernade Zapata Mirallas, Laslo Djere, Borna Gojo, Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, and Daniil Medvedev to win his 24th Grand Slam singles title. The 37-year-old rose to the World No. 1 ranking once again after earning 2000 points courtesy of his triumph in New York last year.
Djokovic is currently ranked World No. 2 with 7,460 ranking points and could face a steep fall in the ATP Ranking if he does not defend the bulk of the 2,000 points. Meanwhile, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner is defending just 180 points at the 2024 US Open after a fourth-round finish last year. The Italian, currently in the final of the 2024 Cincinnati Open, has a real chance at holding on to the top spot of the ATP Ranking after the conclusion of the US Open.
Sinner will have at least 9,410 ranking points after Cincinnati. World No. 3 and 2022 champion Carlos Alcaraz earned 720 points at the 2023 US Open with a semifinal exit. He has already won two Grand Slams this year (French Open and Wimbledon Championships) and will be vying for this third Major in a row.
Alexander Zverev reached the quarterfinals at the 2023 US Open and will have to defend 360 points; meanwhile, last year’s runners-up and former champion Daniil Medvedev will defend 1200 points. Others in the top 10 of the ATP Ranking, Andrey Rublev (360 pts), Hubert Hurkacz (45), Casper Ruud (45), Grigor Dimitrov (90), and Alex de Minaur (180), do not have to defend many points at the 2024 US Open.
Apart from the names above, World No. 13 Ben Shelton and World No. 23 Frances Tiafoe have the most points to defend at the 2024 US Open, with 720 and 360 points, respectively.
Novak Djokovic will come to US Open without a title on ATP Tour 2024
Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic will begin his US Open campaign this year in search of his maiden title on the ATP Tour this season. 2024 has been among the most unusual seasons for the Serb. He bagged his maiden Olympic gold medal at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris, becoming the first player in the Open Era to win every big title on the ATP Tour (Grand Slams + Masters 1000 + ATP Finals + Olympics gold medal).
However, Djokovic is yet to taste success on the 2024 ATP Tour. The Serb was defending titles at the Adelaide International, Australian Open, French Open, and Cincinnati Open before the US Open. However, he failed to do so in any of them. He did not compete in Adelaide and lost to Sinner in the semifinals in Melbourne.
Djokovic withdrew from the quarterfinal at the French Open and subsequently lost his World No. 1 ranking to Sinner. He did not compete at the Cincinnati Open. The closest the 24-time Grand Slam champion got to silverware this year was at the Wimbledon Championships, where he finished runners-up for the second year in a row.