Time is running out for Novak Djokovic to claim a 25th Grand Slam title, but he will have another opportunity at the US Open.
Djokovic has enjoyed differing results at the Grand Slams so far this year as he continues to challenge the very best on the ATP Tour at 39 years of age.
He was phenomenal at the Australian Open as he defeated Jannik Sinner en route to the final, before losing in four sets to Carlos Alcaraz.
He fared less well at Roland Garros, as he was defeated in the third round by Joao Fonseca, despite taking a two set lead against the Brazilian teenager.
At Wimbledon, Djokovic reached the semi finals of the grass court Grand Slam, but he was eventually defeated by Sinner in straight sets.
At the US Open, he could have an advantage as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner look to be entering the tournament having suffered injury issues.
Alcaraz is set to return to tennis after a five month absence at Flushing Meadows, while Sinner is dealing with a knee injury that kept him out of the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open.
Djokovic, meanwhile, has revealed that he is feeling better than he has done in the last two years.
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Speaking to Eurosport, Djokovic said: “I honestly wanted to have one tournament coming into the US Open. I haven’t played since Wimbledon and my body reacted quite well after Wimbledon. It was the best that my body felt after any Grand Slam in the last two years.
“In the other Grand Slams I’ve played in the last two years, I’ve had some kind of injury, different severity that took more time for me to address and come back competing. This time I was healthy and I really wanted to play, so here I am.”
Djokovic has proved that he is the best player outside of Sinner and Alcaraz at the Grand Slams in the past two season, with Fonseca’s defeat of him at Roland Garros being the only player outside of the top two to defeat the Serbian in the past three seasons.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion just needs a stroke of luck and that could come with Sinner and Alcaraz being rusty ahead of the last Grand Slam of the year.
Djokovic is playing the Cincinnati Open too, which will give him a chance to get up to speed on North American hard courts before the US Open.
It is said often, but Djokovic’s chances of winning a Grand Slam are becoming slimmer and slimmer with every major, and the US Open could be his last major opportunity.
With Djokovic feeling fresh, and Alcaraz and Sinner needing to work their way into the tournament, this year could be the Serbian’s chance to claim a piece of tennis history.
The post Novak Djokovic’s latest comments prove he’s ready to win the US Open appeared first on Tennis365.
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