Novak Djokovic is back at the US Open and will now be back at No. 1 in the rankings.
Djokovic made a winning return after missing the tournament last year, rolling to a 6-0, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Alexandre Muller of France on Monday night.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion had to wait through Coco Gauff's three-set victory to open the night session at Arthur Ashe Stadium, followed by an opening-night ceremony marking 50 years of equal prize money at the US Open.
"Well, I knew it was going to be a late night for me, late start of the match," Djokovic said. "Nevertheless, I mean, I was excited to go out on the court. I didn't care if I started after midnight because I was looking forward to this moment for a few years, to be out on the biggest stadium in our sport, the loudest stadium in our sport, playing the night session."
Watched by former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, Djokovic dominated from start to finish, clipping 32 winners to Muller's 11 and excelling at net, winning 20 of 23 approaches. He also dropped just five points on first serve.
“I think I could have served [better] in the second and third. I dropped the level of my serve and had to work for my points a bit more, but nevertheless I think I played great from the beginning to the end,” said Djokovic. “Some hiccups, but I liked my level and hopefully I can maintain it in the next round as well.”
The win made certain the Serbian’s displacement of defending US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz as World No. 1 on 11 September, when Djokovic will begin a record-extending 390th week at the top.
Djokovic improved to 17-0 in first-round matches at the US Open and assured he will regain the No. 1 ranking on Sept. 11. Because he couldn't play last year and had no rankings points to defend, Djokovic needed only get to the second round to guarantee he would take the top spot back from Spain's Carlos Alcaraz. It will be Djokovic's 390th week atop the rankings, extending his own record.
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