Novak Djokovic and Olga Danilovic are scheduled to battle against Daniil Medvedev and Mirra Andreeva in the first round of the US Open mixed doubles event on Tuesday.
However, the Serb's mixed doubles participation is under serious doubt after he was spotted running in Porto Novo in Montenegro on Monday morning! Instead of traveling to New York, the 24-time Major winner remains in Europe a day ahead of his first match in New York.
Djokovic has been practicing in Montenegro, but he has yet to travel to New York, which suggests he may skip the mixed doubles tournament and focus on his singles duties.
If he decides to embrace the campaign and spend entertaining time on the court with Olga, Novak will jump to the court straight from his plane, and it should be interesting to follow his performance.
With just a day before play begins, Djokovic's absence from New York raises questions about his priorities but also physical condition following the setback on the practice court from a couple of days ago.
The veteran has been managing a right thigh injury since Wimbledon, experiencing a setback on a match point in the quarter-final against Flavio Cobolli. Novak finished that much but failed to compete at his best against Jannik Sinner a couple of days later.
The 24-time Major winner withdrew from Toronto and Cincinnati, taking a month off the court and enjoying with his family in Croatia, Greece and Montenegro. At the moment, the chances are slim that we will see Novak in New York on Tuesday.
It could be a strategic move to protect his body ahead of his singles campaign, two decades after debuting in New York. At 38, Djokovic is still eager to lift that 25th Major crown, the first since the 2023 US Open.
