Novak Djokovic’s chances of winning the US Open have been boosted by the shock withdrawal of world No 1 Jannik Sinner.
The Italian has not been able to shake a knee injury he has picked up between Wimbledon and the US Open and he will not return on the ATP Tour’s Asian swing.
In a statement, Sinner said: “Even though I have been working hard with my team and my medical staff, we have now had to make the difficult decision that I will not be able to compete at the US Open this year.
“We have been back on court in Monte Carlo over the last couple of days and have realised that I still need more time to recover from my right knee issue.
“I’m obviously very sad and disappointed, as New York has a special place in my heart. I was very much looking forward to coming back and playing in the electric atmosphere in front of the great fans there.”
For Djokovic, however, there might be a good omen when it comes to his chances at the US Open this year.
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Sinner has not missed a Grand Slam for seven years, when he failed to qualify for Wimbledon in 2019.
That year saw Djokovic claim the title to win the fifth Wimbledon crown of his career and his 16th Grand Slam of his career.
The Serbian beat Roger Federer in the final in the longest final in Wimbledon history to claim the title and he also found a way past David Goffin, Roberto Bautista Agut, Ugo Humbert, and Hubert Hurkacz.
Djokovic will now fancy his chances even more of winning the US Open without Sinner and he will likely be the fourth seed at the tournament.
He will still need to find a way past some big hitters, including Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev, but his path has more than opened up in Flushing Meadows.
Alcaraz will have a major question mark over him as he plays his first tournament for five months following the wrist injury he suffered at the Barcelona Open.
He has a positive head-to-head record against Zverev and he’s proved that he can beat pretty much anyone else on the ATP Tour.
It gets bandied about quite a lot with Djokovic, but the 24-time Grand Slam champion really won’t get a better time to win a Grand Slam.
The only thing that could stand in his way is his own physical health. New York is known to get quite sweltering when the US Open comes around and Djokovic has already proved he can’t hack it in the North American heat this season.
The star struggled in his opening round match at the Cincinnati Open recently, when he was defeated in straight sets in difficult conditions against Thiago Agustin Tirante.
