Concerning signs for Novak Djokovic at US Open as Serb ends practice session with Holger Rune early after receiving treatment for discomfort: Reports
Recent reports claim that Novak Djokovic ended one of his pre-tournament practice sessions at the US Open early due to a possible injury. The Serb won his fourth title at the New York Major in 2023 and is the second seed this year.
Djokovic recently won his maiden Olympic gold at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. He took a long break to recover physically, thus skipping the Masters 1000 tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati.
He arrived directly in New York to play his next tournament at the 2024 US Open and is seeded second in the men's singles draw. Before the main draw action kicks off on August 26, the Serb was involved in the Stars of the Open event at Flushing Meadows on August 21. He played a men's doubles exhibition match with John McEnroe, with the duo bettering Carlos Alcaraz and Andre Agassi.
The 37-year-old has since turned his attention towards the preparation for the year's last Grand Slam. He had a practice session scheduled with Holger Rune at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday, August 23, after an hour-long session with the Dane on one of the training courts.
However, Djokovic did not take the court at Arthur Ashe again after reportedly experiencing some discomfort. The 24-time Grand Slam champion's bags and team members were spotted on the court, but not the man himself, according to the Danish publication TV 2 Sport.
After their session on the smaller court, Djokovic's team reportedly told Rune's team that he would receive treatment for discomfort before arriving at Arthur Ashe. However, he could not continue with the second training session, casting doubts on his future at the tournament.
Novak Djokovic set to play 1R match at US Open on August 26
Novak Djokovic is scheduled to feature at the 2024 US Open on the first day of main draw action on August 26. The Serb is seeded second and will face Moldovan qualifier Radu Albot in the opening-round match. This will be the duo's first meeting on the ATP Tour.
If Djokovic betters Albot in the first round, he will face either compatriot Laslo Djere or Jan-Lennard Struff.
Apart from his Olympic gold, the 37-year-old has not won a single title in 2024, coming closest at Wimbledon, where e reached the final. Djokovic currently has 29 wins out of 36 matches so far this season.