Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz arrives in New York red-hot and
ready to reclaim top ranking
NEW YORK, Aug 20: After semi-final runs at all three Grand Slams this season, 38-year-old Novak Djokovic arrives at the U.S. Open chasing history while confronting the limits of an aging body.
The Serbian great remains in pursuit of an unprecedented 25th Grand Slam title, but comes to Flushing Meadows without a single competitive singles match since his Wimbledon semi-final loss to eventual champion Jannik Sinner.
Skipping hard-court tune-ups in Toronto and Cincinnati, Djokovic has placed all his chips on New York in what many see as his last realistic shot at Grand Slam glory.
After his straight-sets Wimbledon loss to Sinner, he admitted reality is “hitting him like never before” and that closing the gap to today’s best gets harder each season.
“It’s just age, the wear and tear of the body. As much as I’m taking care of it, the reality hits me right now,” said Djokovic, whose only titles over the past 18 months have been Olympic gold in Paris and an ATP 250 in Geneva in May.
“These guys are fit, young, sharp. I feel like I’m going into the match with a tank half empty. It’s just not possible to win a match like that. It’s one of these things I accept and embrace in some way, deal with the reality the way it is, and try to make the most out of it.”
Djokovic is not only chasing a 25th major but also seeking to become the oldest Grand Slam singles champion.
Two years removed from his last major triumph at the 2023 U.S. Open, the seventh seed knows time is running out on his era.
What makes this quest all the more compelling is the opposition, with Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz emerging as the standard-bearers of a new generation.
Between them, they have claimed every major since Djokovic’s last triumph at Flushing Meadows, with the Serb striving to keep his place among the game’s dominant forces.
Whether it proves a breakthrough or a last dance for Djokovic, the spotlight remains on him, with history waiting to be claimed, if his body allows it.
CARLOS ALCARAZ
Carlos Alcaraz heads to the U.S. Open in his now-familiar role as chief challenger to defending champion Jannik Sinner and the Spaniard will be driven this year by the twin pursuit of Grand Slam glory and the world number one ranking.
The 22-year-old won a tour-leading sixth title of the season in Cincinnati on Monday after Sinner retired from the final with illness while trailing 0-5 in the opening set and the result has turned up the heat in the rankings race ahead of the season’s final major.
Health permitting, all signs point to the duo meeting again in a major final and completing a season-defining trilogy after Alcaraz beat Sinner in an epic five-setter to retain his French Open trophy in June before surrendering his Wimbledon crown to the top-ranked Italian last month.
Although Alcaraz has excelled on grass and clay, hardcourt consistency has eluded him on the grandest stage following his 2022 U.S. Open triumph, but the five-times major champion is approaching the New York showpiece starting on Sunday with renewed belief.
“I’m feeling a lot of confidence, playing on a different surface,” said Alcaraz, whose U.S. Open triumph three years ago ensured that he became the youngest world number one since the inception of the ATP rankings in 1973.
“New York is a place that I love playing in. It’s where I got my first Grand Slam and I appreciate the love and support that I receive there every year that I go.”
Having won five of the last seven events he has played in, the red-hot Alcaraz can reclaim the top ranking at the end of the U.S. Open fortnight by outperforming Sinner, who will be defending 2,000 points as the champion. A shock second-round defeat by Dutch outsider Botic van de Zandschulp last year means Alcaraz will defend 50 points. (Agencies)