US Open 2024: Novak Djokovic’s projected path to 5th US Open title and a record 25th Grand Slam
Novak Djokovic will attempt to become the first man to defend the US Open title since Roger Federer in 2008.
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Novak Djokovic (Image via Imago)
Second seed Novak Djokovic will begin his bid to win a 25th Grand Slam title at the US Open, starting on Monday (August 26). The Serbian is playing in his first tournament since winning the Olympic singles gold medal in Paris earlier this month.
Djokovic begins his US Open campaign against a qualifier. He is then projected to face Jan-Lennard Struff in the second round before potentially meeting Alexei Popyrin in the third round. The 28th seed, Popyrin, recently won his first Masters 1000 title at the National Bank Open.
Djokovic could next face Ben Shelton in a repeat of last year’s US Open semifinals. The American will be playing against 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem in a highly anticipated first-round match.
Should Djokovic advance past Shelton, he could face Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals. If he makes it to the semifinals, the Serbian has avoided Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz for the third consecutive Grand Slam. He is projected to face Alexander Zverev.
Ranking Novak Djokovic’s chances at this year’s US Open
Defending champion Novak Djokovic has arrived in New York in an attempt to win his 25th Grand Slam title over the next fortnight. The 38-year-old has not won a Grand Slam this season heading into the US Open for the first time since 2017.
Although he has had tough luck in Grand Slams recently, he might have the edge over Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in this year’s US Open. Djokovic defeated Alcaraz in the Olympic singles gold medal match at the Paris Olympics, which appeared to have shaken the Spaniard’s confidence.
The aftereffects were evident in Alcaraz’s following tournament in Cincinnati, where he lost in the opening round to Gael Monfils. The Spaniard memorably smashed his tennis racket during that match.
Additionally, Sinner’s US Open performance has been clouded by a recent doping controversy. The Italian tested positive twice for a banned substance but wasn’t suspended by the ATP tour. This has led to intense criticism directed at Sinner, which could impact his performance at Flushing Meadows.
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Fahad Hamid
(669 Articles Published)