Novak Djokovic made a last-minute change to his schedule ahead of his opening US Open match, as he took the opportunity to have a hit inside Arthur Ashe Stadium shortly before he took to the court for his match against Argentina’s Mariano Navone.
After Daniil Medvedev won his match against Hugo Gaston in a little over two hours, there was a gap on the main stadium court at Flushing Meadows before the evening session.
That encouraged Djokovic to make a surprise appearance on the court, with his move to have a hit so close to his match surprising many observers.
The 39-year-old is bidding to win his first Grand Slam since lifting the title at the US Open in 2023, as his push to win a record-breaking 25th major continues.
Yet he has insisted he should not be viewed as one of the major contenders for this tournament, after coming up short in his push for Grand Slam glory at the latter stages of events over the last three years.
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Djokovic lost his first match at the Cincinnati Open against Argentina’s Thiago Agustín Tirante and appears to be light on preparation for the US Open, but he is confident his preparation is enough to give him a chance to challenge.
“I don’t like early losses anywhere, to be honest, but it gave me time to be prepared for US Open in a most adequate way,” he said.
“I had almost a few weeks, actually two weeks, to really train and get my body and mind into the right state, prepared for what’s coming up.
“So it remains to be seen. If you ask me if I’m prepared, I feel like I am as best as I can be, but it’s different, training [on the one hand] and then getting out on the Arthur Ashe Stadium and playing best-of-five.
“I’m excited and blessed to have another year to go out there and experience probably the most electric and fun night sessions we have in our sport.”
Djokovic also claimed he should not be viewed as one of the leading contenders for the US Open this year, as he backed the returning Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton to be the men to beat in New York.
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“I think it’s Alcaraz, and I think the other guys, like Shelton, probably are in better shape than I am, but you never know,” said Djokovic.
“YI love playing Grand Slams, and I have proven throughout my career that I’m able to win it and get far in any tournament, even when it comes to Grand Slams, even when I haven’t had too many lead-up matches.
“I always like my chances, best of five, playing night sessions on Arthur Ashe Stadium, there’s nothing like it.”
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