Serena Williams' ex-coach Rick Macci gives take on Novak Djokovic's US Open chances

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• Novak Djokovic

Coach Rick Macci says Novak Djokovic is "the US Open favorite" and he expects the Serb to come up big at Flushing Meadows this year. Djokovic, who won the first two Grand Slams of the 2023 season, surprisingly lost to Carlos Alcaraz on the Wimbledon grass in this year's final at The Championships.

By losing the Wimbledon final to Alcaraz, Djokovic's chances of becoming the first player since 1969 to win all four Grand Slams in the same season ended. Macci, who coached Serena and Venus Williams in their childhood, expects Djokovic to be determined to make a statement at Flushing Meadows.

"@DjokerNole is the favorite at the US OPEN. His inner goat core took a shot across the net from Carlito at Wimby. But when the best of all time with 94 singles titles and 23 grand slams in his back pocket gets knocked down, even more Serbian goat determination will be found," Macci wrote on X.

@DjokerNole is the favorite at the U.S OPEN.His inner goat core took a shot across the net from Carlito at Wimby. But when the best of all time with 94 singles titles and 23 grand slams in his back pocket gets knocked Down even more Serbian goat determination will be Found.

— Rick Macci (@RickMacci) August 16, 2023

Macci says Djokovic is 'the US Open favorite'

This week in Cincinnati, Djokovic is returning to action for the first time since the Wimbledon final loss. Upon arriving to Cincinnati, Djokovic said he needed a day to move on from the Wimbledon final loss and added he was focused on what lies ahead.

"It's not the first [nor] the last match that I lost, so I was over it in a day. Obviously, I needed some really good rest after that, and some time with my family, and that's what I did. So, of course, I was regretting not using the chances during that final.

I was [a] set up and had some set points in the second and I felt that I was close to being in the lead. And then, obviously, some break points in the fifth. It was a close match, but well deserved from his side, because to win he played better in the important moments, and that's what I said after the final. I think he was a deserved winner and that's it really, pretty much. You move on," Djokovic said in Cincinnati.