NEW YORK (AFP) - From the pits of despair in Paris, record-setting Novak Djokovic now eyes a third U.S. Open title in New York where for the first time since Wimbledon last year, the sport's 'Big Four' will be reunited.
Djokovic became the first man to win all nine Masters titles with victory over Roger Federer at Cincinnati on Sunday.
Having captured, against all the odds, a fourth Wimbledon in July, the 31-year-old Serb suddenly finds himself as joint-favorite with world number one Rafael Nadal to triumph at Flushing Meadows.
Champion in 2011 and 2015, and a five-time runner-up, Djokovic sat out the 2017 U.S. Open to nurse an elbow injury.
His physical limitations were still evident when he slumped away from Roland Garros in June after a shock quarter-final loss to journeyman Marco Cecchinato, threatening to skip Wimbledon to mend his shattered self-confidence.
Fast forward three months and Djokovic is once again the man to beat.
Djokovic's Wimbledon triumph took his Grand Slam title collection to 13, just one behind Pete Sampras.
He also has 31 Masters, two back from Nadal but four more than Federer.
World number one Nadal, who won the U.S. Open last year to add to his 2010 and 2013 victories, skipped Cincinnati after triumphing in Toronto the week before.
The Spaniard clinched an 11th French Open in June to take his majors tally to 17 before falling to Djokovic in a five-set, 5-hour 15-minute semi-final loss at Wimbledon.
*****Novak Djokovic