Djokovic Opens 20th US Open Chasing a 25th Major Title

Cincinnati Loss Before New York

Novak Djokovic said his second-round exit at the Cincinnati Open gave him extra time to prepare for the US Open, the last Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year, where he is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam singles title.

The world number five lost in Cincinnati to Argentina's Thiago Agustin Tirante after struggling in the heat and requiring a medical timeout.

"I don't like early losses anywhere, to be honest, but it gave me time to be preparing for the U.S. Open in a most adequate way," the 39-year-old Serbian told reporters at Flushing Meadows in New York on Saturday, according to Reuters. He said he had a couple of weeks to train and get his body and mind "into the right state".

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Twentieth Appearance at Flushing Meadows

Djokovic, seeded fourth, opens his campaign against another Argentine, Mariano Navone. He said he was proud to be appearing at his 20th US Open, a tournament he has won four times.

"If you ask me if I'm prepared, I feel like I am, as best as I can be, but it's different training and then getting out on the Arthur Ashe Stadium and playing best-of-five (sets)," he said, adding that opening matches have been challenging for him in recent years.

The Straits Times reports that since winning the US Open in 2023 he has reached two Grand Slam finals and six semi-finals, and that a 25th major would take him past Margaret Court as the most successful player in the sport's history. In a documentary released this month, Novak Djokovic: The Wolf In Winter, he said: "I know a lot of people are retiring me already, for many years."

Pegula, Williams and the Wider Draw

The Straits Times reports that the 146th edition of the tournament began on Aug 30, with American former finalist Jessica Pegula starting her bid for a first Grand Slam title.

Pegula lost the 2024 US Open final to Aryna Sabalenka and was knocked out by the same opponent in the 2025 semi-finals. This year she reached the Australian Open semi-finals, the Wimbledon quarter-finals, and the finals of the Washington Open and the Cincinnati Open.

Two-time champion Venus Williams is making her 26th main-draw appearance, while Marta Kostyuk, a semi-finalist at the last two majors, is looking to carry that form into New York.

Absence of Travis Hunter Material

The reporting available for this article, from CNA, The Straits Times and The Star, covers only the start of the US Open tennis tournament.

None of it mentions Travis Hunter, and it contains no information about him. Anything further about him is not established by these sources.