Djokovic Enjoys Intense Practice In Cincinnati Saturday

Novak Djokovic is ready to roll at the Western & Southern Open.

The Serbian star enjoyed an intense first practice in Cincinnati Saturday evening on centre court, where plenty of fans packed the stadium to catch a glimpse of the 38-time ATP Masters 1000 champion.

Djokovic worked hard under the watchful eye of coach Goran Ivanisevic, training in the Ohio humidity with team member Carlos Gomez-Herrera. The second seed worked on his baseline game with Gomez-Herrera before Ivanisevic stepped in to feed balls for more specific drills with the Serbian.

Novak Djokovic works on his serve under the watchful eye of coach Goran Ivanisevic.” />

The two-time Western & Southern Open titlist (2018 in Cincinnati, 2020 at Flushing Meadows) also worked on his serve and return. After finishing his session, Djokovic made time for his fans by signing autographs .

The 36-year-old carries a 40-12 record at this tournament and will compete in Cincinnati for the first time since 2019, when he reached the semi-finals. This will be Djokovic’s first tournament in the United States since the 2021 US Open, in which he fell to Daniil Medvedev in the final.

Novak Djokovic is a two-time Cincinnati champion.” />

Djokovic’s last action of any kind came last month at Wimbledon, where he reached the championship match only to fall short to Carlos Alcaraz in a memorable final. The No. 2 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, who has an opportunity to reclaim top spot from Alcaraz in Cincinnati, is 33-5 in 2023 with titles at Adelaide, the Australian Open and Roland Garros.

Photo credits: ATP Tour