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Novak Djokovic is bringing new appreciation to his latest Grand Slam campaign, chasing a men\u2019s record-extending 24th title in New York where he has collected the trophy three times but also suffered bitter disappointment.<\/p>\n
He was disqualified in 2020 when he swatted a ball in frustration, inadvertently hitting a line judge, and in 2021 he was left heartbroken when Russian Daniil Medvedev ended his quest for a calendar Grand Slam in straight sets in the final.<\/p>\n
Last year, he was unable to travel to the tournament after US authorities required COVID-19 vaccinations for non-nationals to enter the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was last year during the [US] Open that I felt it\u2019s a pity that I\u2019m not there. I felt sad for not being able to participate,\u201d the world number two said ahead of his New York return.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut this year, I mean, is this year. I don\u2019t think about what happened in the last year or last couple of years. Just focussing my attention to this year\u2019s tournament.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The 36-year-old Serbian rolls into Flushing Meadows in peak form after defeating 20-year-old Carlos Alcaraz in an epic Cincinnati final that he called \u201cone of the best, most exciting, and most difficult finals\u201d he had ever played.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose are kind of the moments in matches that I still push myself on a daily basis for day in and day out, practice, sacrifice, commitment. At 36, I still have the drive,\u201d said Djokovic.<\/p>\n
Fans are buzzing over the prospect of a rematch between world number one Alcaraz and second seed Djokovic in a potential New York finale, as the pair have all the makings of an epic rivalry.<\/p>\n
Djokovic beat Alcaraz in the Roland Garros semi-finals this year, en route to his third title at the clay court major. But he came up short against his young challenger at Wimbledon.<\/p>\n
While the next-generation rival has clearly invigorated the man who has few peers in his sport, Djokovic said it was age and time that had helped him appreciate his craft at a new level.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know how many more slams I\u2019ll have. I\u2019ll still keep going,\u201d he said. \u201cI also understand that things are different when you\u2019re 36, so I have to be more appreciative, a bit more I guess present, treating every Grand Slam as maybe your last one in terms of commitment and performance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Djokovic will open his latest Grand Slam campaign against 85th-ranked Frenchman Alexandre Muller.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI see every Grand Slam that I play right now as really a golden opportunity to make more history,\u201d he added. \u201cOf course, there\u2019s a big significance to that.\u201d<\/p>\n