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The US Open, as I’m sure you know, tops off the season in terms of Grand Slam action. It’s always a thrilling event thanks to the New York crowd too, not to mention that the world’s best are competing for the title. And speaking of the world’s best, Novak Djokovic is back for the US Open for the first time in two years. The last time he played the US Open, which was in 2021, he was shooting for the Calendar Slam. Yet this time around, he might not be shooting for the Calendar Slam, but he’s looking to extend his Grand Slam tally to 24.
Of course, such a feat would be quite remarkable, and it would only add to the legacy that this man is forging right now. However, there are seven matches standing between Djokovic and another US Open title, and the US Open 2023 draw must be analyzed to determine his chances. That’s precisely what I’ve created this post for – to look at Djokovic’s US Open draw and see who he will need to beat to lift the title in New York.
So – interested in checking out his path towards what would be his 4th US Open title? Let me break it down for you right now.
The 2023 US Open draw for Novak Djokovic
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As you may already know, Novak Djokovic is one of the top US Open 2023 seeds. In fact, he is the number 2 seed this year, which puts him at the very bottom of the draw. Of course, this means that he is as far away from the number one seed, Carlos Alcaraz, as possible. Then again, this is always how the seedings work with such events, and if these two were to face off, it could only be in the US Open finals. But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves.
Before we even think about such a mouthwatering contest, we must look at Djokovic’s US Open draw for an overview of who stands in his way.
Round 1 – Muller
I can’t see Novak Djokovic having too many problems in the opening round of the 2023 US Open. He has been drawn against the 26-year-old Frenchman, Alexandre Muller. This guy is ranked 85 in the world at the moment, and therefore, I expect that Djokovic will breeze past Muller into the second round.
Round 2 – Zapata Miralles
Looking ahead to round 2, Novak Djokovic should then face the Spaniard, Zapata Miralles. That’s assuming Zapata Miralles gets past his opponent in the first round, who happens to be one of eight US Open 2023 wildcards involved in the main draw. Anyway, with Zapata Miralles being ranked 75 in the world, once again, I’d expect Djokovic to enjoy a relatively easy ride into the third round.
Round 3 – Djere
Round 3 is the first stage at which Djokovic could face another seed in the US Open. As it happens, the man standing between himself and the fourth round would be Laslo Djere, who is the 32nd seed at the US Open. Now, Djere is ranked much higher than the other guys at 34 in the world, but on hard courts, Djokovic should beat his fellow countryman quite comfortably.
Round 4 – Auger-Aliassime/Cerundolo
Round 4 is where things start to get very interesting. This is the round where he could face either the 15th seed, Auger-Aliassime, or the 20th seed, Cerundolo. As for Djokovic’s chances against these guys, Auger-Aliassime did beat him in their last encounter, yet he’s had a rough season to date. And for Francisco Cerundolo, they’ve never played, but I’d certainly favor Djokovic on hard courts.
Quarter-finals – Tsitsipas/Fritz
Tsitsipas is the 7th seed at the US Open, while Fritz is the 9th seed. Both of these guys are solid hard-court players, yet it’s only Tsitsipas that has beaten Djokovic before – twice. Then again, Djokovic has beaten Tsitsipas 11 times, and he has a 7-0 head-to-head against Fritz.
Semi-finals – Rune/Ruud
These guys are the 4th and 5th seeds, respectively. Ruud made the finals of the US Open last year too, so he clearly enjoys the conditions in New York. As for Holger Rune, interestingly, he has a winning record over Djokovic of 2-1.
Finals – Alcaraz
For the main event, it would be simply incredible to see Djokovic take on Alcaraz for the title. This would be a repeat of the recent Cincinnati Masters final, which turned out to be an absolute classic. And if this match did materialize, it would be the second Grand Slam in a row where these guys have faced one another for the title.
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