US Open defending champion Novak Djokovic as ambitious as ever after completing Golden Slam

NEW YORK – Novak Djokovic said he remains eager to continue making history as he begins his US Open title defence less than a month after winning a coveted gold medal at the Paris Olympics to cement his status as the greatest tennis player in history.

The Serb aims to win a record 25th Grand Slam, which will take him clear of the 24 he currently shares with Margaret Court, and become the first US Open champion to successfully defend his title since Swiss great Roger Federer in 2008.

The 37-year-old said he was looking forward to playing his first match of the tournament on Aug 26 against Moldovan qualifier Radu Albot under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“The goal is always for me to try to go all the way to the final and fight for the trophy. That kind of mindset is no different for me this year,” Djokovic said on Aug 24.

“People ask me ‘now that you have won everything with the gold medal, what else is there to win?’ I still feel the drive. I still have the competitive spirit. I still want to make more history and enjoy myself on the tour.

“The US Open holds the biggest tennis court in the world. Night sessions here are very famous. I’m going to play my first match on Monday night, I can’t wait to be under the lights. The noise, the energy of the stadium is just different. I look forward to it.”

Other than his Paris Games triumph, Djokovic has claimed no other titles in 2024, losing to younger players such as Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open semi-finals and Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final.

The last time Djokovic played all four Majors in a season without winning one was 14 years ago. Yet the Serb looked like he was in fine form at the Olympics, beating French Open champion Alcaraz in the final.

Djokovic, who became just the fifth player to complete a career Golden Slam of all four Majors and Olympic gold, claims to be motivated to keep pushing himself forward through his rivalries with younger players.

“These kind of rivalries that I have with Jannik and Carlos are the kind of matchups that still bring that joy of competition to me and inspire me to really push myself to perfect the game,” he added.

Alcaraz, who won his first Major at the US Open in 2022, was badly bruised by his loss to Djokovic in the Olympic final. He broke down in tears on court and said he felt he had “let Spain down”.

While the world No. 3 should be a big favourite for the US Open, following triumphs at the French Open and Wimbledon, the 21-year-old will need to first clear his head after

an epic meltdown in the build-up.

The Spaniard heads to the year’s final Grand Slam on the back of a stunning 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 second-round defeat by French veteran Gael Monfils at the Cincinnati Open and called it the “worst match” of his career.

A frustrated Alcaraz destroyed his racket in the deciding set by repeatedly striking it on the court and was at a loss to explain his dip in form and uncharacteristic implosion.

“I couldn’t play. I don’t know how I felt like this. I couldn’t control myself,” he said then.

The humbling Cincinnati defeat came in Alcaraz’s first match on hard courts since his run to the Miami quarter-finals in March shortly after he lifted the Indian Wells title.

But he can draw strength from his happy memories at Flushing Meadows, where he made his Grand Slam breakthrough as a teenager in 2022 with the first of his four Major titles.

The free-swinging Spaniard has never lacked confidence and remains a title contender at the US Open, and his key target is to finish a stellar season by cementing the year-end No. 1 ranking for the second time.

“I’m focused on going to every tournament, thinking about playing great tennis, doing a good result to get better,” said the Spanish star, who could meet Sinner in the semi-finals while Djokovic is on the other side of the draw.

“Ending the year as No. 1 is one of my main goals.”

He also added that he will be “at 100 per cent” for the US Open, despite stopping his training on Aug 24 after twisting his ankle.

“I just stopped my practice for precaution. I didn’t feel comfortable enough to keep practising just in case if everything is going to be worse,” said Alcaraz, who begins his tournament on Aug 27 against Australian Tu Li. 

“A few hours later, I feel good. Tomorrow I will try to be practising again without thinking about it.”

Sinner, meanwhile, arrives after an emotionally draining doping investigation, in which he escaped a lengthy ban after officials accepted his explanation that the banned substance entered his system as a result of contamination from a support team member.

The 23-year-old Italian had twice tested positive for clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid, in March. The International Tennis Integrity Agency announced last week he had been cleared of wrongdoing – a day after he won the Cincinnati Open.

“I’m just happy that it’s finally out,” said Sinner, who takes on American Mackenzie McDonald on Aug 27.

Besides Djokovic and Sinner, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev are among the other contenders.

Former US Open champion Medvedev may not have had the best build-up but the self-proclaimed Russian hard-court specialist has the tools to deny Alcaraz and Djokovic another New York title.

The world No. 5, whose sole Grand Slam title came at the 2021 edition where he beat Djokovic in the final, has made no secret of his preference for hard courts and the ease with which he moves on the surface has been evident.

He reached this season’s Australian Open final, where he lost to Sinner, made it to the last four in Dubai, lost to Alcaraz in the Indian Wells title match before falling again to Sinner in the semi-finals in Miami.

While Medvedev lost his opening match in a pair of US Open tune-up events in Montreal and Cincinnati, he has a knack for upping his game at Flushing Meadows.

French Open finalist Zverev, still seeking his first Grand Slam title, comes into the US Open after reaching the quarter-finals in Montreal and losing in the last four in Cincinnati to Sinner.

The German is one of the sport’s most consistent performers this season and his 52 wins in 2024 leads all players on the ATP Tour. REUTERS, AFP