Djokovic quells injury concerns ahead of the US Open

Novak Djokovic, four-time US Open champion, has confessed that he has been dealing with some minor physical issues ahead of the last major of the season, but is nevertheless eager for the tournament to start. The Serbian superstar hopes to become the first man to defend the singles title in New York for 16 years, when Roger Federer beat Andy Murray in the 2008 US Open final.

Speaking to Serbian press, Djokovic provided more detail on his physical issue that caused him to end his practice with Holger Rune early on Friday, but assured fans that it wasn’t anything to do with his knee that he had surgically repaired in June:

“On Friday I practised for an hour on the outside courts, and then I had some issues, so I didn’t practise any further at Arthur Ashe. Today (on Saturday), it wasn’t much of an issue, so I practised with Wawrinka both on the outside court and on Ashe, where we get an hour per day. So far, everything is fine, it’s nothing serious in the wider context.”

So far, everything is fine, it’s nothing serious in the wider context

Djokovic on his reported physical issues

The 24-time major champion recently played the final at Wimbledon, before going on to win the gold medal in singles at the Paris Olympic Games just a few weeks later, meaning that the schedule was just too packed for him to play any lead-up event before the US Open:

“I’m not in my twenties anymore, I can’t chase the tournaments that are not absolute priority. As you guys know, those are Slams, Davis Cup and the Olympics. Those inspire me to compete, but I also enjoy the process of practice, of building up your form, body, and mind for the biggest challenges, such as this one in New York.”

In 2024, Djokovic has only played three hard court events – the United Cup, Australian Open, and Indian Wells. Out of the three, the gold medallist ‘only’ produced one semi-final, which is unusual by his exceptional standards, and with his most recent match on a hard court taking place nearly six months ago, in a loss to Luca Nardi. When asked if the lack of hard court practice is something that is on his mind, the gold medallist replied:

“It would probably be better if I had a few matches under my belt, but that was the calendar this year, the Games were the priority. I came to New York on Tuesday, practicing every day and raising my level, although, I must admit, I am jet-lagged more than usual. I don’t know what’s going in, it’s like a part of me stayed in Europe.”

The defending US Open champion begins his search for a male record-equalling fifth title in New York – tying with Roger Federer, Pete Sampras, and Jimmy Connors – against Moldovan Radu Albot on Monday evening on Arthur Ashe (2:30am CET on Tuesday). Opening up about his sensations when he heads into a major tournament, Djokovic stated:

“I know that, when a tournament this big starts, I have a mode inside me that is different – when the ball starts rolling, when it starts, I am just a different competitor. I hope that the first match will go well, that’s always desirable, and then we’ll take it from there.”

when a tournament this big starts, I have a mode inside me that is different

Djokovic on playing in the majors

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