The 2023 men’s tennis season is building up toward what promises to be an epic climax when the record-breaking Novak Djokovic heads to New York for the final grand slam of the year at the US Open.
Djokovic missed the 2022 tournament, and this year will be seeking a tenth appearance in the final at Flushing Meadows.
With Roger Federer retired and Rafael Nadal heading the same way in 2024, Djokovic is the only member of the ‘big three’ still competing at a phenomenal level.
Djokovic the US Open favorite
The current odds suggest Djokovic is the player most likely to win the US Open, with the 36-year-old the favorite at a general +110 figure. The 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev features prominently in the betting at +333, with a gap to the rest of the potential field. Given the way the season has gone so far, it is unlikely the tennis odds this week will change much before the US Open starts in late August unless one of the leading contenders is ruled out due to injury.
Djokovic has encountered a variety of injury and fitness issues so far in 2023, including being troubled by a hamstring problem at the Australian Open in January. He also had an elbow injury in the run-up to the French Open before requiring a medical timeout for treatment on his right arm in the semi-final.
Djokovic missed last year’s US Open and lost to Medvedev in straight sets in the 2021 final when he was denied a calendar grand slam. However, he demonstrated in his Australian Open victory and subsequent record-breaking 23rd grand slam title at the French Open that he knows how to manage his load to ensure he is in the best condition for the majors.
Djokovic a beaten finalist six times
If there is any glimmer of hope for the younger brigade, especially those players seeking a first grand slam title, it is that, for all of Djokovic’s record-breaking exploits, he has only won the US Open three times. He has been beaten in the final six times and even suffered a surprise fourth-round defeat against Pablo Carreño Busta in 2020, which at least shows he is not invincible.
However, having beaten, and lost to, Federer and Nadal in US Open finals, Djokovic knows that the current men’s circuit does not contain multiple players currently operating at a level that could match those all-time greats.
As Djokovic enters what is surely the twilight of his elite-level career, it feels inconceivable that he will slip up against an inferior and lower-ranked opponent on what will be among his last visits to Flushing Meadows. Having set a new landmark for most men’s grand slam singles titles when winning the French Open, the challenge for Djokovic now before he retires is to continue extending that record to a point where it will never be beaten.
