Novak Djokovic, fueled by an emotional Olympic triumph, has new Grand Slam records in his sights at the US Open, where title rival Jannik Sinner hopes to shake off a doping controversy.
Defending champion Djokovic can become the oldest Open era champion at the tournament if he secures a fifth title, a record he would share with Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer.
The 37-year-old would also move to 25 Grand Slam triumphs, taking him clear of the 24 he currently shares with Margaret Court.
The final Grand Slam of the year comes at a critical time for Djokovic.
This year he was succeeded as Australian Open champion by Sinner who also relieved him of his world No 1 ranking.
Carlos Alcaraz took his French Open title with the Spanish crowd-pleaser then sweeping Djokovic off court in a one-sided Wimbledon final.
However, Djokovic returned to the clay courts of Roland Garros to stun Alcaraz in the Olympic final in what he Saturday called “the greatest achievement and greatest highlight of my career overall, winning the gold for Serbia.”
Djokovic, who underwent surgery on his right knee in June, said he wondered if his chances to win Olympic gold were running out.
“At 37 I thought, you know, I don’t know, could this be the last chance? Maybe. So I had to push more than I have ever done,” he said.
“Turned out to be one of the best performances I had in years overall throughout the entire tournament.
“Of course in the finals against Carlos, it was kind of a dream scenario really, having my wife and children there, the entire nation watching.”
Meanwhile, Serbian gets why some tennis players question whether there’s a double-standard in the sport after Jannik Sinner was not suspended despite twice testing positive for steroids, and said Saturday that he agrees that there is “a lack of consistency.”
Sinner tested positive twice in March for an anabolic steroid, but the International Tennis Integrity Agency determined the banned performance-enhancer entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist.
The ruling was announced Tuesday, less than a week before Sinner begins the US Open as the No. 1-seeded man. Djokovic, who won the tournament last year for his men’s-record 24th Grand Slam singles title, is the No. 2 seed.
“I understand the frustration of the players is there, because of a lack of consistency,” Djokovic said. “As I understood, his case was cleared the moment it was announced.”
Some players commented on social media after the news broke, wondering if Sinner caught a break because of his standing as one of the best players in the game.
“We see a lack of standardized and clear protocols. I can understand the sentiments of a lot of players that are questioning whether they are treated the same,” Djokovic said.
Djokovic said the Professional Tennis Players Association, which he co-founded, advocates on behalf of players for clear and fair protocols and standardized approaches to cases.
