“I don’t look back with regret, the reason I wasn't here for two years, I have zero regrets” - Novak Djokovic gears up for US Open return after hiatus

Novak Djokovic has stated that he doesn't have any regrets about being unable to take part in any tournaments in the United States of America over the last two years.

A little more than two years after his last match in the USA, Djokovic made his much-anticipated American comeback at the 2023 Cincinnati Open ahead of the US Open. In his first match at the Masters 1000 event since 2019, he took on Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and looked to be in command of the proceedings before the Spaniard was forced to retire in the second set.

The COVID-19 pandemic and Djokovic's refusal to take the vaccine have caused him a lot of trouble, from legal action in Australia that saw him get deported to being forced to sit out of tournaments after being denied permission to enter countries due to his unvaccinated status.

Canada and the USA, where some of the biggest ATP 1000 events and the season-ending US Open take place, are two of the countries where he has been forced to watch the action unfold from a distance.

While excited that he is back in America and ready to compete once again, Djokovic doesn't look back at the events of the last few years in regret.

“Throughout my life I’ve really developed this kind of mindset that I don’t look back with regret on things. Things happening on the outside, the reason I was not here for two years, I have zero regrets. I’m glad to be back. I’ve had plenty of success on American soil,” he said. (via tennis365)

“I’m very excited to return to the country after two years; I’m very grateful for all the love that people are giving me,” he added.

Djokovic's legal troubles and the dwindling number of 'smaller' competitions he has been taking part in, coupled with Roger Federer's retirement and Rafael Nadal's injuries struggles, have led to talk of the Serbian's impending retirement to gather steam in some corners of the tennis world.

The 36-year-old, however, has stated that he remains as motivated as ever to keep competing on the ATP Tour and add more titles to his ever-burgeoning trophy cabinet.

“I have to recover as quickly as possible and be ready to give my best for the exciting challenges that lie ahead. If I weren’t motivated, I would stop playing. It’s exciting that after almost 20 years on Tour, to keep that inner fire that drives me to fight for big goals. I want to keep winning tournaments,” he expressed.

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Cincinnati Open 3R: Novak Djokovic to lock horns with Gael Monfils in "a duel of the veterans"

Gael Monfils has found his form at the 2023 Cincinnati Open.

In his first tour-level appearance since the 2023 Wimbledon Championships final, Novak Djokovic faced Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the second round of the Cincinnati Open on Wednesday. He won the opening set 6-4, during which the Spaniard took a medical timeout late to deal with a back problem.

With the issue persisting, Davidovich Fokina retired early in the second set, just 46 minutes into the contest, giving the Serbian a walkover.

Next up for Djokovic is a clash with veteran Gael Monfils on Thursday. The former World No. 1 spoke highly of the Frenchman ahead of their encounter, praising him for fighting back despite several injuries and going strong despite being almost 37 years old.

"He's an amazing guy. Someone I truly respect and like a lot as a person. He brings so much joy to the fans, so much entertainment. One of the most charismatic players that we've had in the past two decades on the Tour," he said.

"It's great to see him back after several years of struggling with injuries. He's playing as good as ever. He's a year older than me. Everybody talks about my age, but what about him! He's doing amazing, so it's going to be a duel of the veterans tomorrow I guess," he added.

Djokovic has had the upper hand over Monfils throughout his career, holding an 18-0 tour-level head-to-head record.