NEW YORK—Novak Djokovic has taken the concept of a Grand Slam-focused schedule to a new extreme this season, opting out of ATP tournaments entirely since Roland Garros in an effort to optimize his chance of winning a 25th major title.

“I decided not to play because I wanted to spend more time with my family,” Djokovic explained during his US Open Media Day press conference. “And to be honest, you know, I think I earned my right and have the luxury of kind of choosing, picking and choosing where I want to go and what I want to play.”

Djokovic has indeed played plenty of tournaments throughout his two decades on tour, winning at least two of all nine of the ATP Masters 1000 tournaments. But the former world No. 1 has played no more than four in each of the last five years, missing both clay-court Masters in Madrid and Rome before Roland Garros and the Canada-Cincinnati double before the US Open.

“I don't actually have any schedule other than Slams, to be honest,” said Djokovic, who has reached the semifinals of all three major tournaments in 2025. “To be quite frank with you, I don't enjoy the two-week Masters events anymore. It's just way too long for me.

“So yeah, it's just not any more prioritizing the heavy schedule as I used to. I'm not chasing the rankings or building up my points or defending, et cetera. I just don't think about it anymore. For me, it's really about where do I find motivation and joy? Where will I be inspired to play the best tennis? And where do I care to be, really, and play? And Slams are obviously the four main tournaments where I always feel the most motivation.”

It’s at the Grand Slams where Djokovic is still willing to sacrifice that sought-after family time, noting daughter Tara celebrates her birthday on September 2, right in the middle of the US Open.

“Those are types of things that I really don't want to be missing anymore. So, it's just on a personal level for me important to be there, to show up, you know, for the people that have been showing up for me for all these years playing tennis.”

Speaking more broadly about the increase in two-week 1000-level tournaments, Djokovic was sympathetic to player complaints about the calendar—but only to a point.

I'm not chasing the rankings or building up my points or defending, et cetera. I just don't think about it anymore. For me, it's really about where do I find motivation and joy? Where will I be inspired to play the best tennis? And where do I care to be, really, and play? And Slams are obviously the four main tournaments where I always feel the most motivation. Novak Djokovic

“I support the players,” said Djokovic, the No. 7 seed at this year’s US Open. “But at the end of the day, when the players needed to be active and when there was a time of negotiations and decision-making, players weren't participating enough.

“This is an ongoing story of the players, particularly top players. They express their feelings, but…you really need [them] to put in the time and the energy into conversations, meetings, which I know it's very difficult. I have been there, trust me, many times. But it's necessary because then, you know, you're doing something not only for yourself but future generations, and you're making the right moves, the right steps, and contributing.”

Though Djokovic has been off the court in an official capacity since his Wimbledon defeat to Jannik Sinner, the 38-year-old confirmed he has been training to ensure his readiness for the final major tournament of the season, where he will open against American Learner Tien. He punctuated his arrival to the Big Apple with a trip to a New York Yankees game on Thursday, where he met Aaron Judge and threw out the first pitch.

The four-time US Open champion, who competed in the revamped mixed doubles last week alongside Olga Danilovic, also keeps up with the tournaments he’s not playing, praising the continued rivalry between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz—while hoping for a spoiler to recreate the Big 3 dynamic he enjoyed for much of his own career.

“On a global sport stage, these are the types of encounters and rivalries people get very excited about,” said Djokovic. “When it comes to individual sports like ours or boxing, Formula 1 racing, whatever it is, golf, people love to see rivalries. I think their rivalry is, without a doubt, the best one we have in the moment. And it looks like it's going to stay like that for some time.

“And then you have obviously other young players that are definitely going to challenge them, and hopefully somebody can get in the mix. You know, [Holger] Rune was there, and he kind of goes up and down. [Joao] Fonseca. There are players that are able to have that ‘Djoker’ spot, the third spot.

“I kind of empathize with the third guy, because I was in those shoes with Federer and Nadal. I want to see a third guy coming in,” he added with a smile.

Though he was referring to the younger generation, it's a role Djokovic still appears capable of filling himself.

NEW YORK—Carlos Alcaraz last came to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center feeling out of sorts after a grueling Olympic-impacted summer ended with an early exit from the US Open.

What a difference a year makes: the Spaniard is no less busy—he hit the ground running at the Open, competing in mixed doubles with Emma Raducanu—but feeling much fresher after taking time between Wimbledon and the start of the North American hard-court swing. And the results have already been apparent: Alcaraz arrived in New York fresh off his first Cincinnati Open victory.

“I had more time just to have my days completely off, just to recharge my mind, my batteries,” Alcaraz said with a smile at his Media Day press conference. “Then I had two weeks at home practicing, but it was at home. So, for me, it is an extra good that I got having those days at home, and then going to Cincinnati with more happiness, let's say, and really wanting it, hungry to play the tournaments.”

“As you could see, I was more prepared than last year. Now I'm just feeling much better. So, I'm glad that I had those days. Last year it was more or everything was more tight with no days between tournaments.”

Alcaraz was indeed tighter this time last year, letting out his frustrations through a tough Cincinnati loss to Gaël Monfils and an even more shocking second-round defeat in Flushing Meadows to Botic van de Zandschulp.

Though he lost his Wimbledon title to rival Jannik Sinner last month, he claimed a degree of revenge in Cincinnati when the Italian was forced to retire due to illness in the final.

Officially, the result increased Alcaraz’s head-to-head lead over Sinner to 9-5, but the former world No. 1 is well aware their rivalry has only gotten closer in the last year.

“I think the respect we have each other and the good relationship we have off the court,” said Alcaraz, who beat Sinner to defend his Roland Garros title back in June. “I think it is great.

“Obviously, I think everybody watch what we can do every time we face against each other on court. We raise the level to the top. But the relationship we have off the court, I think we are not used to see it at the same times what we have in such a great rivalry on the court. So, I think that make it really special.”

Where Alcaraz has typically enjoyed the edge over Sinner in big matches—and he could wrest the No. 1 ranking from his friendly rival at the end of his two weeks in New York—Sinner has been nigh unstoppable on hard courts since the beginning of last year, racking up 21 straight wins (and three titles) at the last three hard-court major tournaments.

“It's been unbelievable the tennis he's bringing on hard courts,” said Alcaraz, seemingly connecting the dots of Sinner’s dominance in real time.

“So, I just look up to him in some way just to be ready if I have to face him somewhere. So, it's gonna be great. I’m just getting ready for the tournament, just to do a good result. Hopefully, you know, meet him in the final. But yeah, it would be a great result having a good run here.

“If I beat him much more... He has a big target, his back,” Alcaraz added with a smile.

Alcaraz will first have to past one of the trickiest first rounds on offer at this year’s US Open, facing big-serving Reilly Opelka on Arthur Ashe Stadium Monday night.

NEW YORK—Jack Draper went from a spring renaissance to a summer of discontent in 2025, the world No. 5 searching for a reset button at the US Open after missing the last six weeks of tournaments due to an arm injury.

“I had some bone stress, bone bruising, in my humerus on my left side,” the 2024 semifinalist explained in his Media Day press conference. “It is one of those where, yeah, if you keep playing with it, it could become very, very serious. So, I had to take some time out.”

Novak Djokovic discussed hopes someone would play the “Djoker role” in the growing ATP duopoly shared between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, and for a period of eight weeks, Draper looked primed to take that place. The Brit won his first Masters 1000 title at the BNP Paribas Open and broke new ground on clay, finishing runner-up at the Mutua Madrid Open.

It was during the clay-court swing when Draper, dressed in new sponsor Vuori for his media sppearances, first began to feel the effects of the injury to his left arm.

“I felt like my arm was shutting down a little bit when I was hitting forehands—and on the serve, as well,” recalled Draper, the fifth seed at this year’s US Open. “It kind of got progressively a bit worse. Then on the grass it got quite painful. So, didn't know what I was kind of dealing with.”

Draper made the fourth round of Roland Garros and the semifinals of the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club, but bottomed out of Wimbledon, his home Grand Slam, in the second round. Despite playing through pain, the 23-year-old refused to blame the injury for his four-set loss to Marin Cilic.

“I think the grass was mainly due to the fact that I just didn't adapt well enough to the grass,” said Draper. “Yeah, I got beaten by a better player on the day at Wimbledon.”

From there, Draper underwent tests and opted out of the two Masters 1000 tournaments that highlight the North American hard-court swing, making the US Open his first tournament in nearly two months.

I have been looking after this for the last month or so, so I'm looking forward to just getting back competing. I think that will take my mind off a lot of things, as well. Jack Draper on his comeback from injury

“I didn't hit any serves for about a month,” revealed Draper. “Then groundies, I was able to hit after maybe two-and-a-half weeks. It was decent from that point on. Obviously had to build my load up. I couldn't do a lot straightaway.”

Draper, who wore a compression sleeve on his left arm to practice on Saturday, got some matches under his belt earlier this week when he partnered Jessica Pegula to reach the semifinals of mixed doubles. While he says the arm has largely healed, fears of a flare-up have been in the bac of his mind.

“A bone can heal, but it might be giving me some discomfort, that's for sure,” said Draper, who plays his first round of men’s singles against Federico Gomez.

“It's not something which I'm going to go out on Monday and feel like it's holding me back at all. But at the same time, you know, like, I have been looking after this for the last month or so, so I'm looking forward to just getting back competing. I think that will take my mind off a lot of things, as well.”

With his health trending back up, Draper has taken time to improve his overall physicality from his last appearance in Flushing Meadows, where he dealt with sickness during his semifinal against eventual champion Jannik Sinner.

“I think part of it is kind of, you know, my genetics and sort of growing into, like, kind of a bit more of a man's body. I think that took me a long time, and also playing more and more this last little period has been amazing.

“I have had another block again to get some work in me because in tennis you just never really get that time to step off the rabbit wheel and get some work and get improved in your body again. I didn't do a preseason at the end of last year. So it feels really good.

“I have started to really enjoy improving in that aspect, as well. Before I was kind of like I didn't really want to push myself. I didn't really want to feel strong almost. But I feel great in myself now and I understand the benefits it has on the match court and on these big stages, as well.”

Placed in the top half of the draw, Draper could get a big-stage rematch with Sinner in the quarterfinals.