Top-ranked Novak Djokovic faces 2013 Wimbledon semifinalist Jerzy Janowicz in the first round of the U.S. Open.
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When the U.S. Open draw sets the first-round matchups, top players could find themselves taking on an Olympic medallist. Friday was the first time either had discussed the health problems that stymied them in Rio de Janeiro and forced them to withdraw from the hard-court warmup at Cincinnati.
For Williams, it’s a sore right shoulder that she revealed started bothering her nearly immediately after her Wimbledon victory. He said Friday he’s practiced lightly in NY to get used to the conditions at the U.S. Open and isn’t doing any off-court work, “trying to be as fresh as I can”. Yes Wimbledon gets actual royalty, but NY attracts celebrity royalty like Beyonce and Jay-Z, which is nearly certainly preferable. Sign up for our break news email alerts. More than a half million fans over two weeks are expected at this year¿s U.S. Open tennis tournament and security officials are ramping up efforts to make the grounds safer than ever.
– So much excitement swirled around Day 1 of the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens. I know I’m going to keep working hard.
It wasn’t a physical problem that burdened Djokovic during his third-round Wimbledon loss to 41st-ranked Sam Querrey, he acknowledged. “But it’s not the place and time to talk about it”.
On Friday, Djokovic conceded “it was some other things that I was going through privately”. He wouldn’t elaborate other than to say that now “everything is fine”. The 14-time major champ returned for the Olympics and reached the semifinals in singles and won the doubles gold medal. When he first came back from the injury, he had to adjust his technique to avoid pain, so now he needs to get comfortable again with his regular stroke. The 22-year-old racked up to 45 points in the U.S. Open 2016 and hopes to make a comeback at the majors.
Doing an interview shortly after the draw was set, Djokovic joked he wasn’t “mentally ready” to see his bracket quite yet and wanted to wait until “I’m alone”.
NEW YORK (AP) – The old Grandstand at the U.S. Open isn’t retired after all. Australian Open champ Angelique Kerber and French Open victor Garbine Muguruza are on the other side of the draw.
Andy Murray is facing a first-round opponent at the U.S. Open to whom he once said during a match: “No one likes you on the tour – everyone hates you”.
Ranked No 1,045 in the world in February as he returned after three surgeries on his left wrist, Del Potro made his first big splash of the summer when he defeated world No 5 Stan Wawrinka in the second round at Wimbledon, his first grand slam appearance since the 2014 Australian Open.
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As soon as you step on the grounds of the 2016 U.S. Open, you’re immediately taken to a tennis haven: from the new retractable roof over Arthur Ashe Stadium to the grand opening of the new Grandstand. That scenario won’t occur – del Petro meets countryman Diego Schwartzman in his opener.
