Novak Djokovic thrashed Frenchman Alexandre Muller 6-0, 6-2, 6-3 on his long-awaited US Open return on Monday, guaranteeing he will take back the world number one ranking from Carlos Alcaraz.
The 36-year-old Serbian star, who missed last year’s tournament over his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19, is chasing a 24th Grand Slam title and plays Spain’s Bernabe Zapata Miralles in round two.
Djokovic, a three-time US Open champion, reeled off the opening eight games of the match before Muller belatedly got on the board, earning sympathetic applause from a crowd including former US President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle.
The second seed showed little mercy to his o…
Keep on reading: Novak Djokovic cruises in US Open return, back at No. 1
