World No.1 Novak Djokovic is set to make a final decision on playing at the US Open within the next few days, according to a report from Sport Klub.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion is on the entry list to play at the New York major but is yet to commit to the event amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s tournament is taking place behind closed doors for the first time in history with players being placed under strict restrictions. Those who want to stay in their own private housing are expected to pay for 24-hour security in order to ensure they are following protocols.
Djokovic has previously said he was looking at a series of options concerning his return to the court. Which includes the possibility of focusing solely on the European clay until the French Open. However, due to the recent cancellation of the Madrid Open, this route would mean that he will not play any competitive matches until next month at the very earliest. During his training session, Djokovic has been seen hitting on both hard courts and clay.
US Open Organizers will be hoping that Serbian will decide to play at the event as the other two members of the Big Three have already pulled out. Roger Federer is still recovering from his second knee operation and Rafael Nadal announced on Tuesday that he would not be attending due to concerns over Covid-19. Nadal, who is the current US Open champion, said his choice was made due to ‘personal feelings.’
“Everybody knows how much do I love playing in New York. The energy that court brings to me it is just difficult to describe, but the circumstances today, speaking with my family and with my team, with the people that I love around me, forced me to take that decision and my personal feeling at the same time,” Nadal told reporters during a video conference from Spain.
“I am the defending champion there but my personal feeling and my heart are telling me to not have those long trips without knowing what could or not happen, so my decision is to stay here, stay at home in Mallorca where the situation it looks good, looks under control here. And wait for future opportunities.”
Should Djokovic play in New York he will have a golden opportunity to close in on the all-time Grand Slam record, which is currently held by Federer with 20 titles. Victory would give him his 18th major trophy, which is one behind Nadal and two behind Federer. Out of the trio, the 33-year-old is the youngest.
Djokovic is a three-time US Open champion. He started 2020 by winning 18 consecutive matches in a row prior to the Tour suspension. He won titles at the ATP Cup, Australian Open and Dubai Tennis Championships. Bringing his overall ATP titles total to 79.
