Novak Djokovic is back at the US Open after missing last year’s tournament. The former ATP world number one marked his return to the final grand slam of the year with a 6-0, 6-2, 6-3 Alexandre Muller of France on Monday night.
“Well, I knew it was going to be a late night for me, late start of the match,” Djokovic explained after the win, acknowledging that he had to wait for the conclusion of Coco Gauff’s win over Laura Siegemund before he could take to the court. “Nevertheless, I mean, I was excited to go out on the court. I didn’t care if I started after midnight because I was looking forward to this moment for a few years, to be out on the biggest stadium in our sport, the loudest stadium in our sport, playing the night session.”
Currently the 2nd seed behind reigning Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz, Djokovic is set to return to the summit of the ATP world rankings following Monday’s win. While the 20-year-old Alcaraz is the reigning US Open champion, Djokovic has won the US Open on three separate occasions, most recently in 2018.
