The China Mail - Rested but rusty Djokovic plots US Open ambush

The 38-year-old Djokovic has not played since a comprehensive semi-final defeat by Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon last month, skipping the two main US Open warm-up events in Toronto and Cincinnati.

He briefly returned to court on Tuesday for the revamped mixed doubles in New York but lasted just 43 minutes as he and partner Olga Danilovic crashed out in the first round.

A four-time US Open champion, Djokovic suffered his earliest Grand Slam exit since 2017 when he lost to Australia's Alexei Popyrin in the third round of last year's tournament.

He won his 100th ATP title in Geneva this May on the eve of the French Open but found his path blocked by Sinner at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

Djokovic has reached the final just once at the last seven majors since equalling Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles at the 2023 US Open.

Sinner (four) and Carlos Alcaraz (three) have combined to sweep every ensuing Grand Slam, leaving Djokovic on the outside looking in and with time working against him in his bid for history.

"I think, regardless of the fact that I haven't won a Grand Slam this year, or last year, I still feel like I continue to play my best tennis at Grand Slams," Djokovic said after his Wimbledon loss.

"Those are the tournaments that I care about at this stage of my career the most."

But he has twice been compromised by injury this year in a Grand Slam semi-final.

A hamstring tear forced him to retire against Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open before a hip and thigh issue hampered him in London.

- 'Proven I can still play' -

"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, last year and a half, like never before, to be honest," said Djokovic.

"It's tough for me to accept that because I feel like when I'm fresh, when I'm fit, I can still play really good tennis. I've proven that this year.

"But I guess playing best-of-five, particularly this year, has been a real struggle for me physically. The longer the tournament goes the worse the condition gets. I reach the final stages, I reached the semis of every Slam this year, but I have to play Sinner or Alcaraz.

"These guys are fit, young, sharp. I feel like I'm going into the match with the tank half empty. It's just not possible to win a match like that."

But unlike Sinner and Alcaraz, who toiled through the heat and humidity in Cincinnati before the Italian retired from their clash in the final on Monday with illness, Djokovic took time off to recharge.

That means it will be almost five months since his last hard-court match -- a straight-sets loss to Jakub Mensik in the Miami final -- when he launches his 19th US Open campaign.

Only time will whether the gamble pays off at a tournament Djokovic also won in 2011, 2015 and 2018.

He is a six-time runner-up here as well, with his shot at a rare calendar Grand Slam four years ago dashed by Daniil Medvedev.

"I don't know really what tomorrow brings in a way at this point in my career," Djokovic said earlier this year.

"You know, I'm going to keep on keeping on."

There is every chance though he will have to get past both Sinner and Alcaraz to land another title.

B.Chan--ThChM