New York (AP) - Serbian tennis professional Novak Djokovic has confirmed his participation in the US Open.
Unlike his Spanish rival Rafael Nadal, the world number one wants to compete in the first Grand Slam tournament after the coronavirus break and travel to New York on Saturday, as he confirmed on his website.
"It was not an easy decision with all the obstacles and challenges, but the prospect of competing again appeals to me," wrote Djokovic on Thursday.
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the US Open should take place without spectators from August 31 to September 13. Before that, Djokovic will take part in the Masters tournament from Cincinnati, which has been relocated to New York.
Nadal had canceled the trip to the USA due to safety concerns, the Swiss Roger Federer is absent due to his knee operations. In the absence of the other two top stars, Djokovic has the best prospects of winning his 18th Grand Slam title at the US Open and moving closer to his competitors. At the beginning of the year, the 33-year-old triumphed at the Australian Open in Melbourne.
During the Corona break, he made negative headlines with the controversial Adriatic Tour, which he helped organize. He is aware that this US Open will be very different than in previous years, said Djokovic in view of the strict hygiene rules and safety measures.
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