Djokovic relishing US return
KARACHI :Novak Djokovic is back at a tournament in the United States for the first time in two years and is preparing to make the most of his new opportunity at the ATP/WTA Open in Cincinnati.
The Serbian, who refused a Covid vaccine and was denied entry to the United States in the last years of the epidemic, is keen to find himself in one last big tune-up before the US Open, which starts in a fortnight. The 36-year-old won in Cincinnati in 2018 and 2020 and will face Toronto semifinalist Alejandro Davidovich Fokina or Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the second round on Wednesday.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion is competing in singles for the first time since losing the Wimbledon final to Carlos Alcaraz last month; this duo will be fighting for the number one title in the Midwest again this week. “I need to recover as quickly as possible and be ready to give my best to meet the exciting challenges ahead,” said Djokovic. “If I wasn’t motivated, I would stop playing.
“After nearly 20 years on the Tour, it’s exciting to keep that inner fire that drives me to fight for big goals. I want to keep winning races.” Djokovic’s return to the United States sparked excitement in Cincinnati, where fans gathered at a practice Sunday to watch the Serb.
Djokovic added that just one warm-up tournament at the New York Grand Slam would be enough to get him in shape. “I feel like I have the freedom to choose where I want to play. I really wanted to go back to Cincinnati to prepare well for the tournament.” Flushing Meadows is also on Djokovic’s mind after missing the last two because of his tough stance on vaccines.
Published in EDP BLOGS on August 15,2023.
