Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic remains driven by the lure of making history as he sets his sights on becoming the first man in 16 years to successfully defend his US Open title.
Djokovic, seeded second and buoyed by his Olympic victory in Paris, is on the hunt for multiple records at Flushing Meadows, where he’ll begin his campaign on Monday night against Moldovan qualifier Radu Albot.
At 37, Djokovic has the chance to join Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras, and Roger Federer as the oldest champions in the Open era and to claim his 25th Grand Slam title, breaking the current record he shares with Australian legend Margaret Court.
He could also become the first man to retain the title in New York since Federer’s five consecutive US Open wins from 2004 to 2008.
“I wasn’t aware of that,” Djokovic said. “I figured it had been five or ten years, but I didn’t realize it was that long. Hopefully, that changes this year. That’s the goal.”
A win would extend Djokovic’s streak of years with at least one Grand Slam title to seven. Since 2011, only in 2017 has he been shut out at the majors.
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In 2024, new faces have dominated the majors, with Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz winning the last two at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and Italian Jannik Sinner clinching the Australian Open on his way to overtaking Djokovic as the world’s top-ranked player.
With Federer retired and Rafael Nadal battling injuries, Djokovic’s emerging rivalries with Alcaraz and Sinner keep his motivation high.
“These matchups with Jannik and Carlos still bring me the joy of competition and inspire me to push myself to perfect my game,” Djokovic said.
“People ask me, ‘Now that you’ve won everything, including the gold medal, what’s left to achieve?’ I still feel the drive, I still have the competitive spirit, and I still want to make more history while enjoying myself on tour.”
Djokovic described the medal ceremony after his Paris Games win as “probably the most intense emotions I’ve ever experienced on a tennis court.”
“The journey, the way I achieved it after years of trying, makes it even more unique.”
However, he doesn’t expect any letdown as he aims to close the season with yet another Grand Slam victory.
“Grand Slams are the pillars of our sport,” Djokovic said. “They are the most important historical events in tennis. If you don’t get pumped and inspired to play your best tennis at Grand Slams, it’s hard to find that anywhere else.”
