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Novak Djokovic, fueled by an affectional Olympic triumph, has caller Grand Slam records successful his sights astatine the US Open, wherever rubric rival Jannik Sinner hopes to shingle disconnected a doping controversy’
READ ALSO:Djokovic wins Olympic golden to implicit vocation Golden Slam
Defending champion Djokovic tin go the oldest Open epoch champion astatine the tourney if helium secures a 5th title, a grounds helium would stock with Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer.
The 37-year-old would besides determination to 25 Grand Slam triumphs, taking him wide of the 24 helium presently shares with Margaret Court.
The last Grand Slam of the twelvemonth comes astatine a captious clip for Djokovic.
This twelvemonth helium was succeeded arsenic Australian Open champion by Sinner who besides relieved him of his satellite fig 1 ranking.
Carlos Alcaraz took his French Open rubric with the Spanish crowd-pleaser past sweeping Djokovic disconnected tribunal successful a one-sided Wimbledon final.
However, Djokovic, returned to the clay courts of Roland Garros to stun Alcaraz successful the Olympic last successful what helium Saturday called “the top accomplishment and top item of my vocation overall, winning the golden for Serbia.”
Djokovic became conscionable the 5th subordinate to implicit a vocation Golden Slam of each 4 majors and Olympic gold.
The triumph besides silenced the expanding fig of doubters who had written disconnected the Serb arsenic a spent unit successful a caller epoch wherever Sinner, 23, and 21-year-old Alcaraz are steadily moving halfway stage.
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Djokovic, who underwent country connected his close genu successful June, said helium wondered if his chances to triumph Olympic golden were moving out.
“At 37 I thought, you know, I don’t know, could this beryllium the past chance? Maybe. So I had to propulsion much than I person ever done,” helium said.
“Turned retired to beryllium 1 of the champion performances I had successful years wide passim the full tournament.
“Of people successful the finals against Carlos, it was benignant of a imagination script really, having my woman and children there, the full federation watching.”
When they hung the golden astir his cervix and the Serbian anthem played, Djokovic said, it was “probably the astir aggravated emotions I person ever had connected a tennis court.”
Sinner, meanwhile, arrives aft an emotionally draining doping investigation, successful which helium escaped a lengthy prohibition aft officials accepted his mentation that the banned substance entered his strategy arsenic a effect of contamination from a enactment squad member.
The 23-year-old Italian had doubly tested affirmative for clostebol, a banned anabolic agent, backmost successful March. The International Tennis Integrity Agency announced this week helium had been cleared of wrongdoing — a time aft helium won the Cincinnati Masters.
“I’m conscionable blessed that it’s yet out,” said Sinner, who fired his physiotherapist and trainer successful the aftermath of the affair.
But his hopes for “clean air” astatine the US Open could beryllium dashed arsenic players
question wherefore determination was ne'er immoderate announcement of a provisional suspension arsenic the probe proceeded.
Sinner said helium wouldn’t get caught up successful concerns implicit his reputation.
“This, I can’t truly control,” helium said. “So let’s see.”
Alcaraz, who won his archetypal large astatine the US Open successful 2022, was severely bruised by his decision to Djokovic successful the Olympic final.
He broke down successful tears connected tribunal and said helium felt helium had “let Spain down”.
He mislaid his chill successful a second-round exit astatine Cincinnati and tweaked an ankle successful signifier astatine Flushing Meadows, but insisted he’d beryllium “100 percent” for his first-round lucifer connected Tuesday.
Defending women’s champion Coco Gauff has endured a worrying dip successful signifier successful caller weeks, raising doubts implicit whether she could go the archetypal pistillate since Serena Williams successful 2014 to successfully support her US Open crown.
A stormy third-round exit from the Olympics was followed by aboriginal defeats successful Toronto and Cincinnati.
Five-time large victor and satellite fig 1 Iga Swiatek, the 2022 champion, made the Cincinnati semi-finals wherever she was defeated by Aryna Sabalenka.
Sabalenka, the Australian Open champion and runner-up to Gauff successful New York past year, is different contender successful a wide-open tract that besides features Wimbledon victor Barbora Krejcikova and Olympic golden medallist Zheng Qinwen.
English (US) ·