Novak Djokovic believes he has done everything he can to be ready for his 20th US Open campaign, where he will chase a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title.

“If you ask me if I’m prepared, I feel like I am as best as I can be, but it’s different training and then getting out on the Arthur Ashe Stadium and playing best-of-five,” he said ahead of his first-round clash against Argentina’s Mariano Navone.

Djokovic has played only one match since his Wimbledon semifinal run, a first-round exit at the Cincinnati Open where he struggled with the humidity against Thiago Agustín Tirante. But the early loss, he says, gave him time to reset.

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“I don’t like early losses anywhere, to be honest, but it gave me time to be prepared for US Open in a most adequate way. I had almost a few weeks, actually two weeks, to really train and get my body and mind into the right state, prepared for what’s coming up,” he said.

With world No. 1 Jannik Sinner out with a knee injury and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz returning from a four-month injury layoff, Djokovic, seeded fourth, could find his path to a 25th major title slightly less cluttered.

He is also aware that no opponent can be taken lightly as he eyes becoming the oldest man to win a Grand Slam, a mark currently held by Australian Ken Rosewall, who was 37 when he won the 1972 Australian Open.

“Let’s see how it goes,” Djokovic said. “The opening matches are always for me, particularly in the last few years, quite challenging. So hopefully I can overcome the first hurdle and build from there.”

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‘Longevity was always one of the goals’

Since winning the 2023 US Open to tie Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slams, Djokovic has been chasing number 25. The quest hasn’t stopped him from appreciating the smaller milestones along the way. His 20th US Open appearance will put him alongside Jimmy Connors, Andre Agassi, and Feliciano Lopez, the only other men to have reached that mark.

“I’m very proud of that,” Djokovic said. “Obviously longevity was always one of the goals when I was younger, trying to have long career, trying to have more shots at Grand Slams, and stay healthy long enough so that I can perform for as many years as possible.”