Unbeatable?

New York, August 30

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Off-court distractions and a neck injury could not prevent Novak Djokovic from extending his winning run this year to 23 matches and the Serbian could not be in more intimidating form ahead of the US Open. Djokovic clinched his 80th career title and equalled Rafa Nadal’s record of 35 Masters 1000 wins when he rallied from a set down to beat Milos Raonic in the Western & Southern Open final on Saturday.

New champions

The US Open is guaranteed to have new men’s and women’s champions as both the defending champions in singles categories — men’s winner Rafael Nadal and women’s winner Bianca Andreescu — withdrew due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I am trying to make the most of my career, trying to use this time when I feel that I am physically, mentally, emotionally, game-wise at (my) peak and playing some of the best tennis that I have ever played,” the world No. 1 said. “Going on an unbeaten run so far this year obviously brings even more confidence each match. I’m just trying to enjoy it and embrace the process. How long that journey is going to last and what kind of legacy I’m going to leave behind, that’s on somebody else to really judge and evaluate.”

In the absence of his rivals for the title of greatest men’s player of the modern era, Djokovic is odds-on favourite to win his fourth crown at Flushing Meadows for an 18th Grand Slam triumph that would put him one behind Nadal and two behind Roger Federer. — Reuters

Today’s major matches

Round 1

• Women’s singles: Pliskova vs Kalinina; Osaka vs Doi; Gauff vs Sevastova;
• Men’s singles: Djokovic vs Dzumhur; Anderson vs Zverev; Tsitsipas vs Ramos-Vinolas

Serena in hot pursuit of No. 24

Serena Williams declared she is ready — yet again — to fight it out for a record-equaling 24th Grand Slam title. The 38-year-old American has been stuck on 23 Slams since triumphing at the Australian Open in January 2017. Since then she has come tantalisingly close to tying Margaret Court’s singles record, losing in the Wimbledon and US Open finals in both 2018 and 2019, and is determined not to give up the chase. “Obviously I’m never satisfied. That’s been the story of my career,” Williams said at Flushing Meadows, where she claimed her first Grand Slam singles title 21 years ago. “It’s like I’ll never be satisfied until I retire,” she added. “I’m never going to stop until I retire. It’s just my personality.” Williams’s build-up has been rather laboured as she has been stretched to three sets in each of the five matches she has contested since action on the WTA-Tour resumed following the five-month Covid-19 hiatus. She was knocked out in the quarterfinals of the Top Seed Open before suffering a last-16 exit at the Western & Southern Open earlier this week. Despite those long tussles, she said was not fatigued “in the sense of match play”. Reuters

US Open trivia