The North American hard court swing had certainly seemed to lack real star power on the men’s side, with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner both withdrawing from the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open.
However, that all changed when the greatest player in tennis history, Novak Djokovic, took to the courts in Cincinnati on Saturday.
The Serb, playing just his sixth tournament of the season, was making his first appearance on the ATP Tour since his semifinal loss to Sinner at Wimbledon, which many considered his last best chance at capturing a record-breaking 25th major title.
Who has more Wimbledon titles by 2036 between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz?
They have 2 each right now…
His first assignment at the Cincinnati Open came in the form of world number 50 Thiago Agustin Tirante, whose nerves got the better of him in the first set, which comfortably went the way of Djokovic, 6-2.
But after a marathon 18-minute game in set two, Djokovic was visibly physically hampered, and the Argentine took advantage to claim the biggest win of his career.
Novak Djokovic’s chances of winning the US Open just increased
On one hand, Djokovic’s loss to Tirante marked a big missed opportunity to add to his ATP title tally, which is currently 101.
With neither Sinner nor Alcaraz in his path, Djokovic was the favourite to go all the way in Cincinnati and close in on Jimmy Connors’ record for the most ATP singles titles won in history (109).
As he continues to near retirement, the opportunities for Djokovic to win titles are few and far between, given how limited he wants his schedule to be.
But Djokovic’s priority is not catching Connors. It is, and has been for a while, securing Grand Slam number 25.
The 24-time major winner is currently tied with Margaret Court for the most Grand Slam singles titles of any man or woman in history, and he may just have a golden opportunity to surpass her at this year’s US Open.
Who is your pick to win the US Open men’s singles title?
At the start of the season, any fan would have replied ‘Sinner’ or ‘Alcaraz’ if asked who they think will win each of the four majors in 2026.
While the ‘new two’ have won one each this year, neither looks like an overwhelming favourite to win the US Open.
Alcaraz remains out with a wrist injury after recently delaying his comeback by withdrawing from Cincinnati, while Sinner has recently been dealing with a new knee injury, which saw him join the Spaniard in pulling out of the ATP Masters 1000 event.
It is now uncertain whether or not Sinner and Alcaraz will even feature at the US Open, let alone win the title.
And even if they do appear at Flushing Meadows, it is unlikely that they will be at their very best; particularly Alcaraz, who has not played on the tour since April.
That bodes very well for four-time US Open champion Djokovic.
Had the 39-year-old gone far at the Cincinnati Open and emptied the tank in pursuit of his 102nd title, Djokovic could very well have squandered the opportunity that could be awaiting him in New York by running out of gas before the tournament starts.
An opening-round exit, while disappointing, might just be a blessing in disguise.
Novak Djokovic’s US Open run last season
Djokovic made the semifinals of all four majors last year, and his US Open run was arguably the most impressive of the four.
He had some difficult opponents in the early stages, the first of whom was rising star Learner Tien.
Djokovic defeated Tien in straight sets before overcoming another home hope, Zachary Svajda.
The veteran then had to face former Wimbledon semifinalist Cameron Norrie in round three, and big-serving Jan-Lennard Struff in the fourth round.
In the quarterfinals, Djokovic defeated Taylor Fritz in four sets, who was the highest-ranked American in the draw.
He ultimately fell to Alcaraz in the semifinals, losing to the eventual champion in straight sets.
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