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For the first half of this year, he seemed unstoppable, with two of the biggest titles in tennis behind his name and seemingly on course for a calendar Grand Slam.
But the Novak Djokovic steamroller was brought to a grinding halt on July 2, when the world number one was stunned in the third round of Wimbledon by American Sam Querrey.
So great was Djokovic’s dominance in the preceding 18 months that he finished last year with three major crowns and an outstanding record of 82 wins in 86 matches.
Before the Querrey upset, the last serious drubbing the Serb took was in the final of last year’s French Open.
But since that July afternoon, the Serbian superstar has looked a shadow of his former self and is coming up short against players he would have wiped the floor with in the past.
His bid for an Olympic gold medal was thwarted by Juan Martín del Potro earlier this month in the first round of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics tournament. And although he is the top seed in the US Open, which begins in New York tomorrow, experts and bookies are hesitant to call him a favourite.
That honour belongs to Andy Murray, who, since Djokovic’s collapse, doesn’t have an equal.
The Brit was victorious at Wimbledon for the second time in his career and was the last man standing in Rio to become the first player in history to defend the Olympic singles title.
He also made the finals of the Cincinnati Open last Sunday, but was beaten in surprising fashion by Marin Cilic.
According to Greg Rusedski, the former British number one and a finalist at Flushing Meadows, Murray is the man to beat.
Speaking about Djokovic, Rusedski told the BBC: “I would say he is slightly the second favourite, if you look at his form. He lost in the third round of Wimbledon and his opening match in Rio.”
According to Rusedski, the return of Ivan Lendl as Murray’s coach has also had a psychological impact on Djokovic.
Lendl joined forces with Murray again in June, after the two parted ways more than two years ago. This followed the sudden resignation of Amélie Mauresmo as Murray’s coach.
“I believe it’s a bit of doubt creeping into Djokovic’s mind. When Lendl is in Murray’s corner, he seems to win majors,” said Rusedski.
Murray will, however, hope to avoid Djokovic in the final of the US Open, as he has lost 24 of his 34 matches against the Serb and was only able to beat him in two of 10 Grand Slam matches.
In the finals of the Australian and French opens, Djokovic dealt with Murray effortlessly.
With regard to the rest of the contenders, it seems that only Rafael Nadal can prevent the trophy from falling into Serbian or Scottish hands – in the 46 slams since 2005, only four have not been won by the “Big Four” – Djokovic, Murray, Nadal and Roger Federer.
But Federer, who is missing the 2016 Open due to a knee injury, is of the opinion that Djokovic can’t be written off.
“It’s going to be an exciting match between them, but Djokovic is the favourite,” Federer said last week.
“He won in Toronto [shortly before the Olympics – a record 30th Masters title], has an exceptional record against Murray and is at his best on hard surfaces.”
The new roof over the Arthur Ashe Stadium will also count in his favour, said Federer.
If Djokovic is victorious again, he will become only the second player to close out a third season with three Grand Slams – something the Swiss great has not managed to achieve so far.
On the women’s side, Serena Williams will have substantially less pressure on her shoulders at Flushing Meadows this week.
With her 22nd Grand Slam title finally in the bag and despite defeats in Melbourne, Paris and more recently, Rio de Janeiro, she should cruise through.
But although the public’s expectations of Williams will, for once, not be sky-high, the 34-year-old American probably has more to lose than before.
The world number one, whose success at Wimbledon in July meant she matched Steffi Graf’s record for the most Grand Slam titles, will take a giant step towards Margaret Court’s record of 24 majors if she manages to snatch the US Open title for the seventh time.
But if she doesn’t make the semifinal, there is a good chance that she will lose her spot as the world’s top female player to German Angelique Kerber.
Kerber, who beat Williams in the final of the Australian Open, would have put an end to her American rival’s 184 consecutive weeks in the number one spot if she hadn’t lost to Karolína Plíšková in the final of the Cincinnati Open.
Kerber is having a dream year – she has won 43 of her 56 singles matches, earned almost $5 million (R72 million) in prize money and snared an Olympic silver medal.
Williams, on the other hand, lost her French Open crown to Garbiñe Muguruza in May and was eliminated in the third round in Rio.
