San Francisco Frontiers - Good vibes powering Djokovic return to Cincinnati

The 38-year-old Serbian is using the tournament as his only official tune-up for the August 30 start of the US Open, taking to the court for the first time since his Wimbledon semi-final against Jannik Sinner.

On Thursday, Djokovic was surprised by a previously unnoticed fact: the then-teenager had played his first Masters 1000 main draw here in 2005.

He went on to lift Cincinnati titles in 2018, 2020 and 2023, when he beat Carlos Alcaraz in three dramatic sets to win his third trophy.

"Great memories. It took me a while to win my first title here," Djokovic said. "It was a hard hurdle for me. Once I got the first title, it was a huge relief.

"In a sense, (you are) coming back knowing you've won at least once."

Djokovic called his latest trophy win over Alcaraz -- in a tournament-record three hours and 49 minutes -- "one of the most epic best-of-three matches that I was ever a part of."

With the resting Sinner and the wrist-injured Alcaraz missing from this edition, Djokovic's chances of a possible fourth Cincinnati trophy are at least decent.

As his career starts to inevitably wind down, Djokovic's schedule has reduced. He stands 14-5 this season and is still seeking a first title of 2026.

E.Jones--SFF