Novak Djokovic will continue his search for a record 25th Grand Slam title at the US Open later this year.
Not that he has anything to prove at this stage, but Djokovic has constantly fallen short of that success in recent years.
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.
Who will retire with more Grand Slam titles – Carlos Alcaraz or Novak Djokovic?
Let us know why in the comments!
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.
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