Novak Djokovic begins his quest for a 24th Grand Slam singles title on Monday, with the Serb needing only a first-round win to restore the world number one status.
The 36-year-old Serbian great returns to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center after missing the competition in 2022 owing to his unwillingness to be vaccinated.
The second seed Djokovic opens the night session on the Arthur Ashe Stadium's 23,000-seater Arthur Ashe Stadium with what should be an easy match against France's world number 84 Alexandre Muller.
Djokovic will return to the top of the tennis world rankings if he wins, regardless of how the rest of the US Open fortnight plays out.
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Djokovic needs just 20 points to reclaim the No. 1 position after defeating current No. 1 and defending US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz in the Cincinnati Open earlier this month.
Alcaraz, who beat Djokovic in a five-set Wimbledon final classic in July, will play his first US Open match on Tuesday.
While most neutrals are hopeful that Alcaraz and Djokovic may advance to another epic confrontation in the men's final on September 10, Djokovic insists he is just concerned about Monday's opener.
However, Djokovic's opening on Monday is a formality: the Serb has not lost in the first round of a Grand Slam since the 2006 Australian Open.
"You can't really be thinking about what happens in three or four days," Djokovic said on the eve of the tournament.
"It's also in a way disrespectful to your next opponent if you're already thinking about your finals matchup...that kind of mindset never really resonated with me."
In other men's matches on Monday, American 10th seed Frances Tiafoe and ninth seed Taylor Fritz begin their campaigns to snap the home nation's two-decade Grand Slam drought.
