For someone as accomplished as Novak Djokovic, an opening-round exit at any tournament will be a bitter pill to swallow. However, at age 39, the Serb has taken a longer-term view of his recent Cincinnati Open loss, as he is all set to begin his campaign at Flushing Meadows on August 30. The four-time US Open champion spoke about the benefits he gained from his early loss, which might, in turn, increase his chances of going deep in New York.
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“I don’t like early losses anywhere, to be honest, but it gave me time to be preparing for US Open in a most adequate way,” said Djokovic in his press conference. “I had actually two weeks to really train and get my body and mind into the right state, prepared for what’s coming up. So it remains to be seen. If you ask me if I’m prepared, I feel like I am, as best as I can be, but it’s different training and then getting out on the Arthur Ashe Stadium and playing best-of-five. You don’t normally play best-of-five in the practice sessions. Let’s see how it goes.
“The opening matches are always for me, particularly in the last few years, quite challenging. So hopefully I can overcome the first hurdle and build from there.”
This is not the first time Djokovic has arrived at a Grand Slam after playing a limited schedule. The Serb did not play any preparatory events before the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year, but hit the ground running at both Slams, reaching the final and semifinal, respectively. He has not played grass-court warm-ups since 2018, yet has won Wimbledon three times since.
However, more troubling than the loss itself were the physical struggles Djokovic endured against Thiago Agustin Tirante in Cincinnati. Djokovic gradually faded in the match, falling ill and vomiting on the court, a scene that has become frequent. Back at the French Open, he visibly struggled in the five-set marathon against Joao Fonseca, falling sick in the fifth set.
Over the last few years, Djokovic has managed his schedule, keeping his focus and effort primarily limited to the Slams. However, this meant that he has played fewer matches, which stands at only 20 this year, and has often been rusty in his early-round matches at Slams. He played only one clay court match before the French Open this year, and had to grit it out against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round in Paris.
The same issue was seen at Wimbledon, where Djokovic had to spend three hours on court to secure a four-set win over Wu Yibing in the first round. Given the nature of losses the Serb has faced in the last couple of Slams, he needs to be efficient with his energy to mount a decent enough challenge against the likes of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
At the US Open, Djokovic will have a unique opening, as Sinner has withdrawn and Alcaraz’s form is in question after returning from a wrist injury. The Serb will begin his campaign with a first-round fixture against Mariano Navone and will hope to get a quick win to increase his chances of a 25th Major title.