Novak Djokovic has three reasons to believe he can still win the US Open this year

But the slowing down of the 39-year-old is perfectly understandable, with the Serbian very much in the latter stages of his career.

Still, he continues to surprise, recently making it all the way to the semifinals of Wimbledon before losing to eventual champion Jannik Sinner.

And that is one of three reasons why Djokovic must believe he can still lift the US Open trophy aloft in New York.

Novak Djokovic must believe he can still win the US Open

Novak Djokovic enjoys fantastic Wimbledon run

Djokovic may be approaching 40 years old, but he continues to pose a major threat to the next generation of ATP players.

Only Wimbledon champion Sinner was able to beat him in London, with the Serbian battling past the likes of Felix Auger-Aliassime and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Moreover, he beat the Canadian third seed in five sets, demonstrating his astonishing physical and mental strength despite his age.

Of course, he did ultimately fall short of making the final, which should really motivate the veteran in his next Grand Slam appearance.

Men’s hard court Grand Slam leaders

Also standing Djokovic in very good stead for the US Open is his stunning record at hard court Grand Slams.

He’s already won the tournament four times, while his 10 titles at the Australian Open take his overall tally to 14.

That is more than any other man in the history of the sport, while his 72 ATP titles on the surface are an Open Era record, one more than Roger Federer.

Carlos Alcaraz’s US Open absence would favor Novak Djokovic

Of course, factors out of his control will also play a key role in Djokovic’s chances of success at the US Open.

That includes issues such as the weather and the draw, with plenty of discussion about the latter set to focus on Carlos Alcaraz.

Alcaraz missed Wimbledon and the French Open because of a wrist injury, which also puts his US Open place in doubt.

It goes without saying that his absence would massively favor Djokovic and indeed everyone else, but even if the Spaniard does make it, he very likely won’t be fully fit.