Novak Djokovic is set to begin his 2024 US Open campaign against Moldova’s Radu Albot on August 26, the tournament’s opening day. As the defending champion, Djokovic is once again the overwhelming favorite to claim the title.
Albot, ranked World No. 138, secured his place in the main draw of the US Open for the 10th time through the qualifying rounds. He battled hard in all three qualifying matches, overcoming Javier Barranco Cosano, 10th seed Luca Van Assche, and Shintaro Mochizuki to earn his spot.
This will be the first time Djokovic and Albot face each other on the ATP Tour. Albot, excited about the opportunity to compete against one of the sport’s greatest players, shared his anticipation in an interview with ATPTour.com. He expressed his eagerness to play at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the world’s largest tennis-only venue, in front of a full crowd. Reflecting on the challenge ahead, Albot said, “Of course, I’m not going to be crying and be like, ‘Oh, I’m unlucky.’ I’m looking forward to this challenge, and I’d like to see what I can do, how I can play, and how the match is going to be, especially since it’s on a big court with a full house.”
Djokovic’s first-round match at the 2024 US Open will be his first since winning his maiden Olympic gold medal at the Paris Summer Games on August 4, completing his long-awaited Career Golden Slam. The 24-time Grand Slam champion triumphed over Carlos Alcaraz in the final to secure the gold.
Djokovic’s road to the gold medal saw him defeat Matthew Ebden, Rafael Nadal, Dominik Koepfer, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Lorenzo Musetti. After his victory in Paris, Djokovic skipped the North American hardcourt swing, arriving directly in New York for the US Open.
Meanwhile, Radu Albot participated in the North American hardcourt season, where he qualified for the Citi Open and won his first-round match against Facundo Diaz Acosta before falling to Ben Shelton in the second round.
