It has been roughly six weeks since Novak Djokovic played a competitive singles match. Rather than take part in warmup hard-court events ahead of the U.S. Open, the 24-time major champion gave himself a breather, using the break to spend time with family and prepare for the final grand slam of 2025.

Novak Djokovic’s first match at the US Open was a bit of a litmus test for the Serbian legend because he didn’t play a hardcourt warm-up tournament coming into the year’s final Grand Slam. The 24-time Grand Slam champion said he didn’t play the Cincinnati Open because he prefers to focus on the Grand Slams at this stage of his career.

Novak Djokovic may still be going strong at 38, holding his own against the new generation led by Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, but even he knows he can’t play forever. As the last active member of the legendary “Big Three,” every tournament he enters feels like a reminder that tennis is inching toward the end of an era.