Tennis News: In the 2005 season, 18 year old Novak Djokovic debuted at the US Open against Gael Monfils. The match was a five-set match that went up and down and was finally won by the Serbian tennis player after 4 hours and 2 minutes.
Two decades later, the former world No. 1 returns to Flushing Meadows, New York and will appear at the US Open for the 20th time, a milestone that prompted him to reflect on how much time has passed and how much he has achieved since his first trip to the Grand Slam.
“I’m very proud of that,” said Djokovic when told that this season he would be making his 20th appearance in New York.
“Of course, having a long career was always one of the goals when I was younger, trying to have a long career, trying to get more opportunities at Grand Slams and staying healthy so I can continue competing as long as possible.”
“It’s amazing to know that I’m back at the Grand Slam for the 20th season in a row. I saw information that there were only about three or four of us who had played since 2005. As far as I remember, they were Stan Wawrinka, Monfils and Marin Cilic. So, it was great to reminisce about the past. I remember playing against Monfils at my first US Open, a five-setter, and now, 20 seasons later, we’re both still fighting and representing the older generation.”
The situation is different now, but the Serbian tennis player’s target at the US Open is still as ambitious as before. This season, he will be seeking his fifth Grand Slam title in New York and the 25th Grand Slam title of his career, continuing to compete at the highest level despite the demands of a career that has now spanned more than two decades.
The former world No. 1 reached the final of the Australian Open in January before advancing to the semifinals of Wimbledon last month, further proof that he can still go far at the biggest tournaments. However, there is also a reminder of the challenges involved in maintaining performance at this level at this stage of his career.
One of them occurred two weeks ago in Cincinnati, when he suffered an unexpected defeat in three sets against Thiago Agustin Tirante in his opening match. Instead of lamenting the result, he used the early defeat to gain extra time to prepare for the tournament in New York.
“Honestly, I don’t like losing early anywhere, but it gives me time to prepare for the US Open in the most optimal way. I have almost two weeks to really train and prepare myself physically and mentally to be in the right condition. We’ll see the results,” said Djokovic.
“If you ask me if I’m ready, I feel like I’m in the best shape I can be, but it’s a different situation between training, then going out on the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium to play a best-of-five-set match. Normally, we don’t play a best-of-five-set match in practice. For me, opening matches — especially in the last few seasons — are always quite challenging. So, hopefully I can get over that first hurdle and go further from there.”
Djokovic will start the 2026 US Open season by facing Argentinian tennis player Mariano Navone for the first time.
Article Tag: novak djokovic, us open, mariano navone, thiago agustin tirante
Published by Ligaolahraga.com at https://www.ligaolahraga.com/tenis/novak-djokovic-percepatkan-diri-sebaik-may-jelang-us-open