Novak Djokovic, fueled by an emotional Olympic triumph, has new Grand Slam data in his sights on the U.S. Open, the place title rival Jannik Sinner hopes to shake off a doping controversy.
Defending champion Djokovic can develop into the oldest Open period champion on the event if he secures a fifth title, a report he would share with Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer.
The 37-year-old would additionally transfer to 25 Grand Slam triumphs, taking him away from the 24 he at present shares with Margaret Court.
The ultimate Grand Slam of the 12 months comes at a essential time for Djokovic.
This 12 months he was succeeded as Australian Open champion by Sinner who additionally relieved him of his world No. 1 rating.
Carlos Alcaraz took his French Open title with the Spanish crowd-pleaser then sweeping Djokovic off court docket in a one-sided Wimbledon ultimate.
However, Djokovic, returned to the clay courts of Roland Garros to stun Alcaraz within the Olympic ultimate in what he Saturday referred to as “the greatest achievement and greatest highlight of my career overall, winning the gold for Serbia.”
Djokovic turned simply the fifth participant to finish a profession Golden Slam of all 4 majors and Olympic gold.
The victory additionally silenced the growing variety of doubters who had written off the Serb as a spent power in a brand new period the place Sinner, 23, and 21-year-old Alcaraz are steadily shifting middle stage.
Djokovic, who underwent surgical procedure on his proper knee in June, mentioned he puzzled if his probabilities to win Olympic gold had been operating out.
“At 37 I thought, you know, I don’t know, could this be the last chance? Maybe. So I had to push more than I have ever done,” he mentioned.
“Turned out to be among the finest performances I had in years total all through all the event.
“Of course in the finals against Carlos, it was kind of a dream scenario really, having my wife and children there, the entire nation watching.”
When they hung the gold round his neck and the Serbian anthem performed, Djokovic mentioned, it was “probably the most intense emotions I have ever had on a tennis court.”
Sinner, in the meantime, arrives after an emotionally draining doping investigation, by which he escaped a prolonged ban after officers accepted his rationalization that the banned substance entered his system on account of contamination from a help group member.
The 23-year-old Italian had twice examined constructive for clostebol, a banned anabolic agent, again in March. The International Tennis Integrity Agency introduced this week he had been cleared of wrongdoing – a day after he gained the Cincinnati Masters.
“I’m just happy that it’s finally out,” mentioned Sinner, who fired his physiotherapist and coach within the wake of the affair.
But his hopes for “clean air” on the US Open might be dashed as gamers query why there was by no means any announcement of a provisional suspension because the investigation proceeded.
Sinner mentioned he would not get caught up in considerations over his status.
“This, I can’t really control,” he mentioned. “So let’s see.”
Alcaraz, who gained his first main on the US Open in 2022, was badly bruised by his defeat to Djokovic within the Olympic ultimate.
He broke down in tears on court docket and mentioned he felt he had “let Spain down.”
He misplaced his cool in a second-round exit at Cincinnati and tweaked an ankle in apply at Flushing Meadows, however insisted he’d be “100%” for his first-round match on Tuesday.
Defending ladies’s champion Coco Gauff has endured a worrying dip in kind in current weeks, elevating doubts over whether or not she might develop into the primary lady since Serena Williams in 2014 to efficiently defend her US Open crown.
A stormy third-round exit from the Olympics was adopted by early defeats in Toronto and Cincinnati.
Five-time main winner and world No. 1 Iga Swiatek, the 2022 champion, made the Cincinnati semi-finals the place she was defeated by Aryna Sabalenka.
Sabalenka, the Australian Open champion and runner-up to Gauff in New York final 12 months, is one other contender in a wide-open discipline that additionally options Wimbledon winner Barbora Krejcikova and Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen.
Source: www.dailysabah.com