While his main rivals are chasing the Cincinnati Masters crown, Novak Djokovic is training in Montenegro. The 24-time Major winner took an extended break following the Wimbledon semi-final loss.
The veteran enjoyed with his family in Croatia, Montenegro and Greece, withdrawing from Toronto and Cincinnati and taking time off the court to recharge batteries.
Novak will seek his 25th Major crown at the US Open. If he manages to achieve that, he will write another page of tennis history, as no one has done that in his style!
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The four-time champion will travel to New York without playing a single match on North American hard courts this summer. It’s a risky move that puts him in a unique position historically.
Since the US Open switched to hard courts in 1978, no player has managed to go all the way in New York without playing at least one tune-up event in hard in July or August.
The smallest lead-in came in 2020, when Dominic Thiem played one match before capturing his lone Major title in a thrilling final over Alexander Zverev. However, it was a pandemic year and not a perfect example.
John McEnroe struggled in the pre-US Open events in 1980, playing only three matches in Toronto and Atlanta before conquering the home Major over Ivan Lendl, Jimmy Connors and Bjorn Borg!
Andy Murray clinched his only US Open crown in 2012. The Briton claimed the Olympic Games gold medal at home at Wimbledon and enjoyed the moment without pushing too hard in Toronto and Cincinnati.
Murray withdrew from Toronto after one match and fell to Jeremy Chardy in Cincinnati. However, he saved his best tennis for the US Open, prevailing over Novak Djokovic in the final for his first Major crown.
Like Murray, Carlos Alcaraz lifted his first Major title at the US Open in 2022 after a short tun-up process. The young Spaniard fell to Tommy Paul in Montreal before losing to Cameron Norrie in Cincinnati.
However, those four matches were enough for a teenager to gain a boost and compete at his best in New York. Carlos prevailed over Marin Cilic, Jannik Sinner, Frances Tiafoe and Casper Ruud en route to his first magical moment.
Now, Novak Djokovic will seek the US Open glory after skipping all the lead-up events. If anyone can accomplish that, it’s Novak! He has already made a career of defying odds and rewriting record books.
