Just days after his Wimbledon final defeat, Novak Djokovic is already plotting a run at the 2023 US Open, as the Serbian is set to return to the US after last year's absence.
Djokovic's last appearance in a US competition came in the 2021 US Open when he lost the final to Danill Medvedev. Until recently, Djokovic was banned from entering the US due to his Covid-19 unvaccinated status, which meant the 23-time Grand Slam winner missed out on the 2022 US Open and six ATP Masters 1000 events.
But, the US government's recent relaxing of rules around Covid-19 vaccinations to gain entry into the country means Djokovic can compete in the country again. When asked by Serbian reporters about the prospect of fighting for another Grand Slam this season after the Wimbledon loss to Carlos Alcaraz, the 36-year-old said his focus will be on the US Open in September.
“I keep on going with the same resolution, with a big desire and fresh goals – the US Open and Davis Cup are the most important competitions for me until the end of this year. I hope to stay healthy, motivated, ready, strong – so that I can fight for another Grand Slam title,”
“I am looking forward to coming back to New York. Throughout my career, I’ve played my best on hard courts, although grass has become my favourite surface too in the last five-six years. But overall, considering tournaments where I’ve been most successful – it’s hard courts“
Moreover, the three-time US Open winner explained that Flushing Meadows has become a venue that he has grown to love in recent years. However, winning over the crowd has not always been easy for the Serbian player.
“I’ve played a lot of finals in New York (record 3-5 in those finals). I lost the last one to Medvedev, but I received a lot of love from the crowd, which wasn’t the case in the past. I left New York with that image in my head, so I am really looking forward to going back.”
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