Novak Djokovic, driven by his victorious Olympic Games experience, aims to break new Grand Slam records at the US Open starting Monday, while his title opponent Jannik Sinner faces scrutiny over two failed drugs tests upon arriving in New York.
If he wins a fifth title, Djokovic could become the oldest champion in the tournament’s Open era, tying the record shared by Connors, Sampras, and Federer.
The 37-year-old would also increase his Grand Slam wins to 25, surpassing the 24 he currently holds with Margaret Court.
The last important tournament of the year is crucial for Djokovic. This year, Sinner took over as Australian Open champion and also dethroned him as the world’s number one player.
Carlos Alcaraz claimed victory at the French Open in front of his adoring Spanish fans before defeating Djokovic convincingly in a lopsided Wimbledon final. Nevertheless, Djokovic came back to the clay courts of Roland Garros and surprised Alcaraz in the Olympic final.
His emotional win in Paris enabled him to join an elite group as the fifth player to achieve a career Golden Slam of winning all four majors and Olympic gold.
The win also quieted the growing skeptics who had dismissed the Serbian player as past his prime in a time where Sinner, 23, and Alcaraz, 21, are gaining prominence.
Having had surgery on his right knee in June, Djokovic referred to his Olympic win as his “greatest achievement in sports”. His professional career also included the 99th title of his accomplishments.
Djokovic claimed that beating a 21-year-old, the current top player in the world, at 37 and winning both Roland Garros and Wimbledon consecutively was likely his greatest sporting achievement.
Sinner comes to the last Slam of the season after winning the Cincinnati Masters championship.
Nevertheless, that victory was soon overshadowed by the fact that he was cleared of any wrongdoing despite testing positive for a banned substance twice earlier in the season.
The individual found to have clostebol in their system, which is a banned anabolic substance according to WADA regulations. However, he avoided a long suspension because authorities believed his claims that the substance got into his system due to contamination from a member of his support team.
Sinner stated that he would leave this difficult and deeply unfortunate period in the past. Australian player Nick Kyrgios slammed the “ridiculous” decision to allow him to keep playing after the green light was given.
Alcaraz, the champion of the US Open in 2022, suffered significant bruises from his loss to Djokovic in the Olympic final. He burst into tears on the court and confessed to feeling like he had disappointed Spain.
His preparation for New York was hindered by being eliminated in the second round of Cincinnati by Gael Monfils, during which the typically calm Alcaraz threw his racquet on the court.
He labeled the loss as the most terrible game he had ever played in his career.
Among those who could disrupt the pre-tournament favorites Alcaraz, Djokovic, and Sinner are Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev, with Taylor Fritz being the top choice to end America’s lengthy search for a male Grand Slam winner.
Although Medvedev’s preparation for the US Open hasn’t been ideal, the Russian player, who has won the tournament before, could potentially prevent Alcaraz and Djokovic from claiming another title in New York.
Medvedev, ranked fifth in the world, has openly expressed his preference for hardcourts, showcasing his smooth movement on the surface throughout this year, after securing his first Grand Slam title at the 2021 US Open by defeating Djokovic in the final.
Medvedev made it to the final of the Australian Open this year, but lost to Jannik Sinner. He also reached the semifinals in Dubai and Indian Wells, where he was defeated by Alcaraz and Sinner, respectively, before losing to Sinner again in the Miami semis.
Despite losing his first match in the Montreal and Cincinnati tune-up events, Medvedev is known for stepping up his performance at the US Open, where he is now a favorite among fans after previously facing criticism from the New York crowd.
Entering the US Open after a warm-up in Cincinnati where he fell to eventual champion Sinner in the semifinals, Zverev, a French Open finalist, continues to chase his first Grand Slam title.
Zverev has been one of the most reliable athletes in the sport this year, with his 49 victories in 2024 topping all other players on the ATP Tour.