"It's going to be all over the world on TV" - Novak Djokovic's US Open 1R opponent Radu Albot opens up on receiving messages to "beat" the Serb
Novak Djokovic will begin his campaign at the 2024 US Open against Radu Albot of Moldova on the first day of action, August 26. The Serb is the defending champion and will be the favorite for the title for the umpteenth time.
Albot entered the main draw at the 2024 US Open for the 10th time in his career via the qualifying route. The World No. 138 was made to work hard in all three qualifying matches and defeated Javier Barranco Cosano, 10th seed Luca Van Assche, and Shintaro Mochizuki to reach the main draw.
Djokovic and Albot have never played against each other on the ATP Tour, and Albot seems to be relishing the opportunity to compete against one of the greatest players ever. He sat down for an interview with ATPTour.Com ahead of his match and expressed excitement at the prospect of playing at the world's biggest tennis-only venue, the Arthur Ashe Stadium, in front of a packed crowd.
The Moldovan also opened up about the messages he has received as he prepares to face the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
“Of course, I'm not going to be crying and be like, ‘Oh, I'm unlucky’. Of course. I'm looking forward to this challenge, and I would like to see what I can do, how I can play, and how the match is going to be, especially that it's going to be on a big court with a full house,” Albot said.
He added, “It's going to be all over the world on TV. I already got so many messages from back home about wishing me luck and beating Novak that I don’t have anything else to do, just to go there and to do my best, to compete at my best."
Novak Djokovic will play first match since Paris Olympics gold at US Open 2024
Novak Djokovic's first-round contest at the US Open 2024 will be his first match since winning his maiden Olympic gold medal at the 2024 Summer Games in Paris on August 4. The Serb completed his long-awaited Career Golden Slam, having already won all four Majors, after beating Carlos Alcaraz in the title contest in Paris.
The 37-year-old reached the gold medal match at the Paris Olympics by defeating Australia's Matthew Ebden, Spain's Rafael Nadal, Germany's Dominik Koepfer, Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Italy's Lorenzo Musetti. Djokovic did not play in the North American hardcourt swing after Paris, landing directly in New York for the year's last Grand Slam.
His first-round opponent, Radu Albot, did play on the North American hardcourt swing. He qualified for the Citi Open as a qualifier and defeated Facundo Diaz Acosta before losing to Ben Shelton in the second round.