The US Open: Is it Djokovic's Last Great Opportunity in a Grand Slam?

With just over a week left until the start of the US Open 2026, we can confirm that this could be the last great opportunity for Novak Djokovic to achieve his coveted twenty-fifth Grand Slam. The absence of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz's current form suggests that this is the moment for the Serbian player to step up and put the icing on the cake of the greatest career in tennis history.

Yesterday it was announced that Alcaraz will participate in the US Open after more than 4 months without competing. The Spanish player has missed important tournaments like Roland Garros and Wimbledon due to a serious wrist injury, although both he and his team believe he is ready to return to the circuit. However, he will arrive under wraps and without competitive rhythm, so Djokovic will have a slight advantage over him in many aspects.

As if that weren't enough, today Jannik Sinner announced he will not be in New York as he has not recovered in time from his right knee injury, which completely opens the door for Djokovic to achieve a new Grand Slam after three years of drought. Interestingly, his last major was the US Open in 2023, so this could be his moment of glory. Equally curious is that at 39 years old he has been able to compete in all 4 Grand Slams of the season, something neither Sinner nor Alcaraz have managed due to their respective injuries. That said, the big asterisk is that Novak has skipped a large part of the tournament calendar, meaning he hasn't endured as much physical strain.

Djokovic, in a similar situation to Roland Garros

In New York, other players like Holger Rune or Jack Draper will also not be present, while Alexander Zverev is not arriving in his best form either, having only gained two victories on the North American hard court swing. 'Sascha' has lost to Tallon Griekspoor in Montreal and Tommy Paul in Cincinnati, which will make him arrive with doubts at the US Open. Another reason to think that Djokovic can achieve something great.

However, a similar situation is what the Serbian player already experienced at Roland Garros and completely wasted. After the absence of Alcaraz and Sinner's loss in the second round, all eyes were on Novak, but he lost in the third round to Joao Fonseca after leading 2 sets to 0. The only difference is that Djokovic performs much better on a less physically demanding surface like hard court, so in New York, he is expected to have more options. 

Djokovic's physical condition, his greatest rival

It is also important to note that Novak raised alarms in Cincinnati by falling in his debut against Thiago Agustin Tirante after calling for the physio due to physical problems. Djokovic later confessed that he has been carrying issues for a long time that worsen with high temperatures, so it will be interesting to see how his body responds when he is in a critical situation during long matches.

Throughout 2026, Novak has been brushing up against glory. At the Australian Open, he reached the final after overcoming Sinner in an epic match, although his body gave out against Alcaraz. At Roland Garros, he disappointed when everything seemed to be in his favor, and at Wimbledon, he fell in the semifinals against an excellent Sinner. He has one last shot in a season where he has had magical moments, making it a propitious situation in New York for the Serbian legend to add another Grand Slam to his trophy case. 

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El US Open, ¿la última gran oportunidad de Djokovic en un Grand Slam?