Novak Djokovic starts training on hardcourt, prompting speculation he will play US Open

Novak Djokovic was the figure behind the now-infamous Adria Tennis Tour, which left the entire tennis world reeling in the midst of a COVID-19 outbreak. The disastrous exhibition tournament also seemed to have put the 2020 US Open in jeopardy, with many questioning the feasibility of hosting such a big tournament amid a global health crisis.

To make matters even more dicey, Novak Djokovic himself recently said he was not sure whether he wanted to play the US Open or not.

But a few hours ago the Serb was seen practicing on a hardcourt at his tennis center, making many believe he is seriously considering traveling to New York for the US Open.

Novak Djokovic back to his favorite surface ahead of the resumption of the tour

Novak Djokovic at 2020 Australian Open

Novak Djokovic confirmed last week that he intends to participate in the European clay swing which will culminate with Roland Garros, and until yesterday all his actions seemed geared towards that.

Djokovic practiced on clay while being locked down in Marbella, and then played a few matches on the same surface during the Adria Tour. He was later captured on video hitting on a claycourt at the Novak Tennis Center in Belgrade, making many wonder whether he had given up on hardcourt for the year already.

But now that Novak Djokovic has been seen practicing on the cement, there is renewed hope that he will play the US Open. A former three-time champion at Flushing Meadows, Djokovic will be the favorite to win the tournament if he does play - irrespective of whether his rivals show up or not.

Nole practising on a hard court today 👍 #USOpen (https://t.co/zY0hnk2L35.centre ig) pic.twitter.com/Ij1pejnlRT

— 𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚔. A🎱 (@NoleLondon) July 9, 2020

Novak Djokovic resuming his hardcourt training is an ominous sign for his rivals

Novak Djokovic had kick-started his 2020 tour season in epic fashion, as he romped to title victories at the Australian Open, ATP Cup and Dubai Open. However, the Serb's momentum was disrupted when the whole ATP tour was suspended due to the global pandemic.

Novak Djokovic continues to inch closer to his Big 3 rivals Federer and Nadal

The competition at the top echelons of tennis continues to be cut-throat as Novak Djokovic, standing at 17 Grand Slams, gradually inches closer to the GOAT title. He is currently trailing only Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, who stand at 20 and 19 Grand Slams respectively.

The Big 3 have dominated the last three years at the Slams, having won the last 13 of them. They have continued to get the better of all pretenders to their throne, snuffing out the challenge of players like Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas.

But since Federer has called it a season due to injury, Nadal is practically the only one standing in the way of Djokovic's march.

All things considered, it is hard to imagine Novak Djokovic voluntarily missing out on an opportunity to get closer to Nadal and Federer. And now that he is feeling the waters on hardcourt ahead of the US Open, the rest of the tour would be very scared.