World number one Novak Djokovic will begin his bid to win the 2021 US Open Tennis Championships in New York against a qualifier.
A title win in New York in two-week’s time will arguably cement Djokovic as the greatest of all time (GOAT) in men’s tennis as the Serbian will complete a very rare Calendar Grand Slam, winning all 4 Grand Slams on schedule in a single season.
The win also breaks a three-way tie of Grand Slam singles titles haul with other GOAT contenders Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Both Federer and Nadal are not competing at the US Open and will be out for the rest of the season.
The path to Grand Slam 21 is not going to be easy for Djokovic as he will be facing former Slam finalists as early as the third round.
He could potentially face 2014 US Open finalist Kei Nishikori in the third round, a rematch of last month’s Wimbledon final against sixth seed Matteo Berrettini, last year’s runner-up Alexander Zverev in the semifinals and 2019 runner-up Daniil Medvedev in the final. Zverev ended Djokovic’s bid for a Golden Slam late last month at the Tokyo Olympics.
