
Djokovic during a press conference at the US Open. He announced Thursday that he will play this year. (Stephanie Myles/OpenCourt.ca)
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There was a little drama in the lead-up. Under-the-radar WhatsApp group chats and brief buzz of the top 20 male players boycotting the US Open.
But in the end, Novak Djokovic will be there. To the surprise of few.
The world No. 1 announced, about 10 days before the start of the “Cincinnati” Masters 1000 tournament in the US Open bubble, that he will play both it and the US Open in the coming weeks.
He is also entered in the doubles in “Cincinnati”, with countryman Filip Krajinovic.
Per his website, Djokovic will arrive on Saturday.
Djokovic statement
“I am happy to confirm that I will participate at the Western & Southern Open and US Open this year. It was not an easy decision to make with all the obstacles and challenges on many sides. But the prospect of competing again makes me really excited.
During my career, I have played some of my best matches at the USTA Billie Jean King National tennis center. I am aware that this time around it will be very different with all the protocols and safety measures that are put in place to protect players and people of NY.
Nevertheless, I have trained hard with my team and got my body in shape so I am ready to adapt to new conditions. I’ve done all the check-ups to make sure I am fully recovered. And I am ready to get back on court fully committed to playing my best tennis.
I respect and appreciate everyone taking time, effort, and energy to organize these two events for the tennis players to be able to go back to their working field. Unfortunately for the players and the game itself, the current situation is not allowing everyone to travel and compete at the same level of risk. And I hope the situation will change soon and we will all be back to doing what we love and do best.”
On Thursday, No. 15 Karen Khachanov also confirmed his participation. Khachanov is also signed on to play doubles in “Cincinnati” with countryman Andrey Rublev.
No COVID worries
Who knew that catching the coronavirus during the summer would turn out to be a net positive for players – as long as they recovered well and have no lingering effects?
Djokovic announced he and his wife had tested positive for COVID-19 after the ill-fated (and, it turns out, final) leg of the Adria Tour he spearheaded in the Balkan countries in June.
So he doesn’t have to worry about catching it. And he also, per the USTA’s guidelines, will have to be tested far less often as long as he brings the proper documentation with him to New York.
Djokovic a prohibitive favorite
With the absences of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, Djokovic is the prohibitive favorite to win his 18th major title. Even with their presence, really, he would have been.
But his confirmation adds some gravitas to what is still not certain to be a full field on either the men’s or women’s sides.
The world No. 1, No. 5 and No. 7 on the women’s side have already sent their regrets. And No. 2 Simona Halep is certainly doubtful.
Without any of the ATP Tour’s “top three”, it would have been a major disappointment. That’s especially true for the television rights holders, whose revenue is the main reason behind the USTA working so hard to hold the event even without fans.
Early issues with restrictions
Djokovic was one of the players who had issues with the initial USTA restrictions on accompanying team members.
Originally, the players had been limited to one; now, they are allowed to bring up to three team members, although only one can have access to the players’ areas.
The other question for Djokovic will be about his accommodations.
Players are allowed to rent private homes during the period – an especially long one, as it happens. As a matter of course, whenever they are in one place for an extended period – notably at Indian Wells, or during the grass-court season in London – players prefer to eschew the hotel option and rent a house.
No more free Manhattan hotels
At the US Open, though, many have deals with Manhattan hotels for (at the very least) free accommodation in exchange for some social media promotion.
That won’t be allowed this year, as there are mandated player hotels out on Long Island. Those hotels aren’t closer to the USTA National Tennis Center than downtown is. But they do have the advantage of being more isolated and keeping the players assembled within somewhat of a bubble.
The players are expected to hunker down in their rooms for the duration and order in, when they’re not on site playing or practicing.
Those accommodations must be rented from a specific real-estate company. And the players who choose that option also are on the hook for private security for the duration of their stay. That security, for all intents and purposes, will monitor their movements and report back to the tournament.
Djokovic’s NJ camp outside the bubble
But Djokovic, a man of habit and supersition like most tennis players, had made his own arrangements for the last decade. During that period, he has won the US Open three times and made the final on three other occasions.
The Serb has set himself up at the $40 million, 48-acre estate of Gordon A. Uehling III, a 47-year-old who briefly tried to play pro tennis in his youth. He has set up a high-performance camp that includes courts made of all the major outdoor surfaces.

Uehling is also the man who first put the now-famous hyperbaric chamber on Djokovic’s radar.
However, the estate is in Alpine, N.J. and clearly not on the rental-property list approved by the USTA.
So we’ll see if Djokovic managed to make special arrangements with the tournament to return to that estate, or whether he’s prepared to deal with the restrictions and get on with the business of winning the tournament.
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